Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: The Corrupted Wish
by Spingus
Summary: In a quiet forest far from civilization, a group of explorers have joined together to seek out adventure. Chikorita, an amateur herbalist, and Bulbasaur, the newest member of the Explorer House, quickly discover the unfriendly side of nature as they explore the region's mystery dungeons.
1. Chapter 1: A Wish for Peace

**Part 1: The First Adventure**

* * *

"I wish for a world of peace," he said after a brief moment of hesitation. Altaria gave a proud but gentle hum, like a bird's cooing, as if reassuring himself he'd made the right decision.

Jirachi clapped its hands together excitedly. "Yes! Yes! That's a very good wish! With our power, we will make it so."

The legendary wish Pokémon pirouetted in midair and dramatically raised its tiny arms to the starry sky. All at once, the dim points of light above became emboldened, revealing their brilliance to the astonished cotton dragon. For a few fleeting seconds, heaven and earth were indiscernible as both became wrapped in a comforting glow.

Jirachi moved its face close to Altaria's. "We'll fix this world together, just you and me."

* * *

With a grunt, Chikorita was able to overturn the large rock and reveal the moist ground beneath it. Hoping to find a new bug friend, she stooped down and scoured the mud with her practiced eyes. A quick search told her that everyone was underground today; and because her four little hooves made for poor digging tools, she'd have to look elsewhere.

As soon as she lifted her head to do so, she could hear a soft groan. It sounded like it came from a nearby clearing- her favorite thinking spot near the top of the hill. She hurried in its direction, the leaf on her head billowing erratically behind her.

Upon reaching the clearing, she saw the source of the noise- a Bulbasaur was lying on the ground, his eyes tightly shut and legs kicking at the air. He gave a short grunt and began twitching, his face contorted as if in pain.

Chikorita inhaled deeply, calming herself. Then, after taking on a more solemn expression, she walked around him, examining him for any obvious injuries. When she was sure he was asleep and unharmed, she leaned in close and listened to his breathing, just to be sure his airways were free. Her examination was brief and uneventful. As far as she could tell, he was fine; he just having a nightmare.

Thankfully for him, Chikorita was the daughter of one of the best healers around, and was well-practiced in handling such minor conditions. Better still, she was eager to exercise her skills on a new subject.

She stood above him and closed her eyes. Soon the leaf on her head began to glow a faint shade of pink as a sweet fragrance spread through the area. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw the Bulbasaur's terrible grimace change to a contented smile. He was sleeping so soundly that Chikorita continued her aromatherapy for a long while afterward, just to make sure his nightmare was dispelled completely.

With her leaf still glowing, she lay down less than a stone's throw away and noticed a ladybug maneuver through the labyrinth of seemingly random grass shoots. She watched the beetle move between twigs and clover stems, pausing between each obstacle as if each were worthy of investigation. Chikorita placed her leg in front of the insect's path and waited to see what it would do.

The spotted creature, after noticing Chikorita's movement, was more than happy to climb up the new pillar that had appeared before it. The little one's fuzzy legs tickled the grass Pokémon, but the pillar remained standing despite this, though it quivered slightly as she giggled.

When she was sure the ladybug wouldn't fall off, she lifted her leg.

"Hey there," she said quietly as she held the ladybug up to her face, being careful not to let her breath make it feel uneasy. She smiled and listened. Very rarely would insects reply- most were uninterested in her until she appeared as a threat. She was a part of the scenery as the trees and grass were to most Pokémon. Sometimes though, she could swear they'd understand her. They'd look up at her, watching her with a removed fascination, or would tell of their struggles, their fears, their treasures. They were such present-focused things that it was hard to tell if they had any dreams or desires; but Chikorita liked to imagine that like her, they lived one day at a time, always watching the horizon, never certain where they belonged.

The ladybug abruptly raised its wings and flew off, startling her.

Chikorita watching it go with a sigh. She hated to see her leave so soon, but she knew they couldn't stay in one place forever. They needed to explore their big world, and she would only slow them down.

She looked around. She could hear the Bulbasaur's slow breathing, indicating that he was still in a deep sleep. That soft sound, along with the sweet air around her, made her a little drowsy. Promising herself she'd only rest a short while, she lay her head against a tree and watched the stranger through sleepy eyes.

She knew his presence was a temporary thing. He'd probably wake up in a few hours, thanking the warm sun for his refreshed body and leave like the ladybug did. Still, she hoped he'd stay around and tell of the outside world. It was rare to find anyone walking through the woods, much less without any exploration gear. He was probably one of those rugged adventurers, living off the land he explored and the kindness of those lacking the same courage.

She closed her eyes, smiling at the thought of being an explorer. It was a nice idea, but she hadn't the heart for it. Explorers were constantly fighting bad Pokémon and putting themselves in life-threatening situations. The thought of hurting other Pokémon or acting so recklessly was enough to discourage her from dwelling on such things. Besides, the Pokémon back home needed her. She was the only one who knew how to prepare and apply those bitter medicinal herbs- a skill which did not go unused in a house full of explorers.

"Oh well," she said as she began to drift off to sleep. "It's fun to dream."

* * *

The Bulbasaur woke with a start, causing his whole body to jolt and his eyes to shoot open. Even half-asleep he could tell he was in an unfamiliar place.

"What's going on?!" he exclaimed.

He rolled over and stood up, panicking at the thought of being lost. He began to run around in circles, searching for anything out of place, any sort of landmark that would tell him where he was. In his haste, he almost bumped into a sleeping Chikorita, nestled against a gnarled tree.

His movements did not go unnoticed. As he approached, her eyes fluttered open. After yawning, she looked up at him, startled.

"Oh, hi," she said quietly. She rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes and stood up, teetering a little as she regained her balance.

The Bulbasaur was taken aback. He'd never heard a Chikorita talk before, let alone one that could tower over him. With her leaf adding to her height, she stood a great deal taller than him.

"H-hey," he stammered, overcome with a terrible thought.

He looked down at himself and gasped in horror. Without realizing it, he was walking on four legs; worse, those four legs were green and scaly with short claws poking from beneath them. Recoiling, he fell backwards only to find he had a lump where his back once was, impeding his movements.

Believing the fall to be a result of mere clumsiness, Chikorita ran over to him and offered a leg to pull himself up.

"No!" he screamed, rolling onto his stomach. "What's going on?! I'm not supposed to be like this!"

Chikorita took a few steps back. "What's wrong? If you're hurt, I could try-"

"I'm a human!" he blurted. He planted his face in the grass and began to hyperventilate. "I'm not a Pokémon!"

Chikorita cringed. It pained her to see anyone like this. Whatever problem he had, she was powerless to help. At the same time though, she couldn't just walk away and leave him there, scared out of his mind.

"Chikorita!" a voice called out.

A white, cat-like Pokémon leapt into view, panting from exhaustion. She wasted no time in small talk.

"We need to get out of here. There's a group of bad Pokémon coming our way."

"Absol? What are you doing here?" Chikorita asked, her brow furrowed as she struggled to grasp the situation. "I thought you were on an adventure with Gallade..."

"Gallade's fine. But there's no time to chat. Just run," she ordered, looking over her shoulder.

"But what about Bulbasaur? Can he come with us?"

Absol's bright eyes narrowed as she took notice of the sprawled-out mess of a Pokémon in the grass. There was no way a little Bulbasaur could fight multiple Pokémon at once. She couldn't leave him to fend for himself, not after Chikorita took notice of him.

"Sure. Let's hurry though."

Chikorita shook Bulbasaur. "C'mon, we have to get going. We have a house nearby you can stay in."

Bulbasaur, temporarily distracted by the sudden change in events, stood up. "Wha- what's going on? Why do we have to run?"

A series of loud rustling noises nearby preceded a chorus of obscenities. A group of Pokémon were close, and none of them sounded very friendly.

Absol stood between the source of the noise and Chikorita. "Bulbasaur, can you fight?" she asked.

Bulbasaur looked down at his new body, uncertain what he was capable of. "I can if I have to."

"You have to."

The noises grew in intensity as the unwelcome guests moved closer.

"Don't show them any mercy," Absol advised. "These Pokémon will kill you if they can. Don't stop attacking them until they stop moving, but don't chase them if they run, understand?"

Bulbasaur nodded, swallowing anxiously. He could see his legs visibly shaking as a lightheaded feeling threatened to overwhelm him. He clenched his muscles, hoping it would somehow help. He couldn't let his fear show, not when his life was on the line. For now, he'd have to hide behind the mask of a killer.

He squinted in the group's direction and tightened his jaw. It was time to fight.


	2. Chapter 2: The Encounter

The humanoid Pokémon glared at his partners, Venomoth and Doduo, to remind them that he was their leader; and leaders are never wrong.

The poison moth Pokémon, Venomoth, neglected to heed this warning. He hovered just behind Machoke and growled at him.

"It's all your fault we lost her. I told you she went deeper in the forest, but you made me check the mountain path first."

Machoke swatted at a branch with his fist. "Absol live in the mountains, stupid."

The two-headed ostrich Pokémon butted in. "Why do you think she ran into the forest? You think she has a family here?"

Machoke glanced at the Doduo, as if suddenly remembering her existence. "Whatever," he said. "Do whatever you want with the family. That Absol's mine though, got it?"

"That's not _fair_ ," Venomoth whined. " _I_ saw her first. You guys just followed me."

From seemingly nowhere, Machoke tackled Venomoth to the ground and grabbed one of his wings. He held it like a piece of paper, eager to tear it in half.

"You wanna start something?!" he shouted, beginning to crumple the flimsy wing with his tremendous strength.

Doduo ran closer to the action, her voice rising in intensity as the two began to roll around in the dirt. "Tear him apart! Don't let him talk to you like that!"

With a terrible crunch, part of Venomoth's wing was ripped off, leaving a purple powder in its place. Almost immediately, Machoke roared in pain as the latent poison began to eat away at his contaminated hand. Clenching both hands into fists, he threw his whole weight on the moth and began to whale on his exposed face.

Swearing violently, Venomoth jabbed his mouth into Machoke's leg and began to drain his blood, ignoring the barrage of poorly-coordinated punches and focusing on causing as much internal damage as possible.

Doduo ran up behind Machoke and, using her two heads, began to shout into both of his ears at once.

"Wassa matter with you?! Knock him out already! Fight like you mean it!"

"Shut up!" Machoke shouted, trying to knock the bird away. He fell over backwards, giving Venomoth the chance to counterattack. He wasted no time in doing so. Flapping his wings at incredible speed, he scattered a cloud of yellow powder around him.

Machoke and Doduo knew better than to breath the powder in. They ran from the yellow dust as fast as they could, both cursing the poison moth.

* * *

The forest was filled with horrible noises as two angry Pokémon burst into the scene, startled at finding three Pokémon already waiting for them. Behind them, Chikorita could see a path of trampled underbrush and broken branches marking their carelessness. She could only hope the bad Pokémon hadn't displaced too many creatures' homes.

Even though Absol stood between them and her, she could still see the two Pokémon were Doduo and Machoke. It didn't take a side-by-side comparison to know both Pokémon were much larger than any of them. That didn't stop Absol though. Before anyone knew what was happening, she was already in the air, ready to pounce on Doduo.

Bulbasaur sprang into action. He dashed forward, heading straight for the Machoke with reckless abandon. The superpower Pokémon took a defensive stance, waiting for the head-on attack with a grin. But instead of tackling him, Bulbasaur stopped just in front of him and returned the same grin.

Suddenly, vines shot out of the bulb on his back and grabbed his ankle. Instinctively, Machoke tried to take a step backwards, stumbling for a moment. This was all Bulbasaur needed. He crashed headfirst into Machoke's knee, forcing his leg to hyperextend.

He tumbled to the ground, clutching his leg, startled a little Bulbasaur could cause him so much pain. He clenched his teeth and swore, smashing his fist into the ground. That Bulbasaur was going to pay.

* * *

Absol's claws raked across the Doduo's right face, drawing enough blood to cause both heads to scream in pain. The left head pecked at her face, catching only a beakful of fur. With one paw, Absol crushed the bird's left neck, forcing a wheezy gasp of air as she started to choke. With a grunt, she dug her claws into the crushed throat and dragged her leg down, slicing her neck open. Then she battered the weakened Doduo with the back of her paw until she stopped struggling.

Venomoth saw the whole thing from the forest. As soon as she saw Doduo was losing, he dove upon the Absol and pierced her back with his sharp teeth and began to drink her blood.

Absol reared up in surprise. She rolled over, trying to remove the parasite from her back, but Venomoth held on, attached with several rows of teeth and an admirable degree of resolve. She tried desperately to shake him off, to use her rear legs to claw him, but every attack merely grazed him. Worse, as time passed, he became empowered by her blood, healing himself from every injury she could inflict upon him.

Chikorita saw Absol in pain and ran to help her. She hadn't battled another Pokémon before, but she couldn't stand by and watch her friend suffer.

"Get back, Chikorita!" Absol shouted at her.

"Let me help!" she squealed. "I can heal you!"

"No, go away!" she screeched, backing herself up to a tree, hoping to smash the bug Pokémon. "Stay safe!"

Chikorita kept her distance, not wanting to anger her. But then she saw Bulbasaur in trouble too. She ran to him instead.

"I'll help!" she called.

Bulbasaur didn't hear her; he was lost in the heat of combat. The Machoke stood over him. Crippled though he was, his arms could still work. He made full use of them, swinging wildly, landing blow after blow on the small plant Pokémon. Bulbasaur held his vines up and walked backwards to soften the attacks, biding his time.

Machoke clasped his hands together and raised his arms high into the air, putting all of his energy into his next attack. Chikorita jumped between them.

"Protect!" she shouted, summoning a barrier around her. The attack hit her shield and bounced off, not even affecting Chikorita's momentum.

Bulbasaur, although surprised at finding such aid, gladly accepted it. He used the opportunity to tackle Machoke's chest. Not expecting such a bold move, Machoke had no time to flex his abdominal muscles. The blow knocked the wind out of him.

Gasping for breath, Machoke shielded himself with his arms, trying to recover.

He was never given the chance. Absol, recently freed from Venomoth's grip, began to claw at his back. With a roar, Machoke turned tail and ran into the woods, outnumbered and injured. Venomoth followed suit, flying in a crooked manner with an broken wing. The two disappeared into the forest, their angry voices echoing long after they were gone.

The three stood in the clearing, ragged and weary from the brief encounter, but otherwise physically unharmed. The three exchanged nervous glances as they listened to the sounds of the forest, just to be sure there no more immediate threats.

When at last, they could breath more easily, Chikorita was the first to speak.

"Where's Doduo?" she asked, fearing she'd just witnessed a killing.

Absol shrugged and with half-closed eyes examined the ground. "If the blood is any indication, it looks like she ran off into the woods in another direction."

After seeing Chikorita's concerned face, she made another note. "Don't worry, one of the heads will survive, I made sure of that."

Her answer didn't seem to make anything better.

Bulbasaur swallowed. "Is it over?" he asked, still breathing heavily from the exertion. He hadn't realized how tired he was until he felt safe again.

"It never is," Absol said with a frown. "But it looks like we're in the clear for now. Let's go home, Chikorita."

Chikorita stood next to Bulbasaur. "Can he come too?" she asked.

Absol looked him over with a wary eye. If she had any real say, she would have rejected him outright, despite his help in the fight. But she knew the decision ultimately rested with the owners of the house, and they were much more inclined to trust strangers than she was.

"Very well," she consented. "We'll see what your parents think."


	3. Chapter 3: The Explorer House

Bulbasaur was surprised to find the house was little more than a cave in the side of a hill. It was a modest place, with little in the way of furniture. The door, the floorboards, and the ceiling were constructed of unpainted but slightly blue wood, sanded and coated to reduce the risk of splinters. Several straw mattresses lined the back wall while a large, round table stood as the room's centerpiece. Lining the walls were hand-drawn pictures of various Pokémon, including Chikorita and Absol.

Sitting atop small, plain tables were even smaller pottery lamps with lit wicks protruding from them, which gently illuminated the room with their discrete flames. Those candles, along with the two small, glassless windows at the front entrance, were the only apparent light sources. The only place darker was the downstairs which, according to Absol, was a place of rest for those in desperate need for sleep and solitude, or a library for those that were neither.

If the number of mattresses was any indication, the place housed a little over half a dozen Pokémon. Considering its size, this would have made accommodations rather cramped if everyone were in the same room. But thankfully, most the other residents were busying themselves elsewhere, and would likely return later. The only ones still around were Chikorita's parents, who greeted Bulbasaur without any indication of surprise, almost as if they were expecting another guest in their home.

Her mother, a Pokémon resembling a long-necked dinosaur looked down at him with a friendly smile. Large, pink petals around her neck shook as she spoke. "New friend?" the Meganium asked.

"Yup!" Chikorita said, standing next to him proudly, as if showing him off.

To Bulbasaur, it made sense Meganium would be the mother of Chikorita: Chikorita, like many other Pokémon, could evolve into a larger, more powerful version of themselves after several tough battles. After evolving twice, a Chikorita would grow to become a Meganium. What struck him as odd, however, was her father. Rather than being a Chikorita or evolution of one, he was a bulky fire dragon known as Charizard. He even had a long tail with a small fire on the end of it, which was producing smoke as any flame might. It was a miracle their wooden interior was still intact.

Charizard gave a hearty laugh. "You a traveler, buddy?"

"I... guess so," Bulbasaur said with an uncertain grin, hoping he wasn't coming off as too weird.

"I found him asleep at my thinking spot," Chikorita explained. "He helped us fight the bad guys."

"Bad guys?" Meganium asked, beginning to see the cuts on Absol's back in her peripheral. She turned to the monochrome Pokémon for an explanation.

Absol retained her composure. "We were attacked by three bad Pokémon. Bulbasaur and I were able to hold them off with only a few cuts and bruises to show for it. All things considered, we were very lucky."

"I helped too!" Chikorita added, causing Absol to wince.

"I couldn't stop her. I _told_ her not to."

Charizard held up a hand. "It's all right. We knew this would happen eventually. Would... would the two of you mind stepping outside for a moment? We need to talk with Chikorita for a while."

Absol nodded and quietly walked away, gesturing Bulbasaur to do the same. He obeyed, but continued watching the family until the wooden door closed behind him.

* * *

Outside, Bulbasaur could see some of the other explorers finding ways to amuse themselves. One nearby Pokémon, a Gible, who looked like a short-legged shark, was digging through the dirt, his pointy fin poking just above the ground. Although the shark looked much older than him, he was about Bulbasaur's size and, from far away at least, seemed pleasant enough to talk to. Bulbasaur approached him.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?"

He looked up. "Diggin'. You wanna help?"

Bulbasaur looked at the impressive pile upturned dirt with a degree of admiration. "Looking for something buried there?"

Gible climbed out of the trench he'd built and wiped the side of his face with a short arm. Bulbasaur couldn't help but notice his sharp fangs.

"Nah, I just like diggin'. Good for the body and mind, y'know? I'm Gible, by the way," he said, introducing himself unnecessarily.

"Bulbasaur," the grass Pokémon replied, holding out a front leg, forgetting Pokémon probably didn't shake hands like humans. He put his leg back down while trying to make his movement look natural.

"You staying at the Explorer House?" Gible asked, making the question easier by pointing to the place he'd recently left.

Bulbasaur didn't know how to answer the question. For all he knew, Chikorita and her family were in there, discussing whether he was even allowed to stay. And in light of the fact that he was partially responsible for her getting involved with those bad Pokémon, it was understandable if they refused him.

He wondered what he'd do if that happened. Without any clue where he was, who he was, or what happened to him, being turned away would leave him homeless and helpless. He could only pray hospitality was a value among Pokémon.

"Just visiting," he said, swallowing to hide his worried expression. "Dunno if I'll be around for long."

"We'll be glad to have ya," Gible said with a toothy grin. "Lemme introduce ya to the other explorers. HEY EVERYONE! WE GOT A NEW EXPLORER HERE!"

"I never said I was-"

Someone shoved Bulbasaur from the side, nearly toppling him. He turned to see a bipedal dragon with two horizontal tusks protruding from her face, returning his confused expression with a mischievous one of her own. She was an Axew, but unlike most Axew, which normally have green scales and a light green collar, she was a faded black with a pink collar instead.

She pushed him again and held her grin, watching him carefully.

Bulbasaur couldn't tell whether she was testing him, challenging him, or playing with him. He decided to play it safe and avoid making enemies. "Hey," he greeted her, trying not to show how frustrated he was.

She poked his nose. "You play hide 'n' seek? We're short on players after Gible quit."

" _C'mon_ , Axew, you won't let me hide underground," Gible said, with his hands on his hips. "What am I supposed to do?"

Bulbasaur made a face. "I'm not familiar with the area..."

"Good," she said. "I wanna win."

"Who else is playing?"

"Me," a voice whispered beside him.

Bulbasaur visibly jumped, making Axew nearly fall over laughing at his reaction. Bulbasaur glared back at her, which succeeded in only fueling her giggles.

A Shuppet came into view, staring at him with his large, multicolored eyes.

To Bulbasaur, Shuppet looked like a used napkin. His body was spherical, save for a spike atop his head. A faded purple cloth completely covered everything except his two bright and watchful eyes. But those eyes- they seemed otherworldly to him. For a brief moment, they scared him.

The spike on Shuppet's head began to glow faintly. He continued watching him as Axew recovered from her fits of laughter.

"Oh man, you're one timid Bulbasaur," she said with a chuckle, attempting to deliver a friendly punch to accent her words. But to her disappointment, Bulbasaur evaded the gesture and shook his head.

"Don't do that."

She held up her hands defensively. "A'ight, a'ight. No need to get all angry. We're just playin'."

"That Pokémon does not exploring," Shuppet said, pointing to him with the flap of his cloth.

"How can you tell?" Axew asked, ignoring his poor grammar.

"His eyes tell me total truth."

"They look like normal eyes to me," Gible interjected. "Quit givin' him a hard time, Shuppet. And you too, Axew."

Axew folded her arms. "Whatever. So you wanna play or not? We'll let you seek if ya want."

Bulbasaur didn't need to examine the landscape to know there were far too many hiding places to realistically search all of them. The forest was so dense, so teeming with verdant life, even maneuvering was difficult at times. The seekers were at a clear disadvantage.

"I'd rather hide," came the confident reply.

"Suit yourself. You see the sun?"

As difficult as it was to make it out through the trees, it was clear the sun had begun setting, turning the forest into a land of colored lights and long, mysterious shadows. In less than an hour, the sun would completely fade from sight, leaving only darkness in its wake.

"When the sun sets, the game is over. If you're still hiding, you win. Here's the catch though- you have to hide someplace where you can see the sun."

Bulbasaur began to look around preemptively for good hiding spots. "Fair enough."

"A'ight then. Shuppet, you wanna look for us?"

Without any warning Shuppet began counting. "One... two... three..."

"No no no no!" Axew groaned. "You have to close your eyes and look away. We're supposed to be _hiding_."

"Okay," he said, turning to face a large tree. "How many numbers do I need to be counting?"

"Just... count to a hundred or something. You know all the numbers, right?"

He nodded. "One... two... three... four..."

Needing no further instruction, Bulbasaur and Axew ran off in different directions.


	4. Chapter 4: Set in Motion

"Did I do something bad?" Chikorita asked, looking up at her parents worriedly.

Charizard and Meganium moved closer to each other. "No, dear," Meganium said, smiling to reassure her.

"Not at all," Charizard said proudly. "We're quite proud of you, actually. We've never seen you defend yourself before; we were afraid you'd grown timid."

"We'd never want to see you become a bully," her mother said. "But we _also_ didn't want you to act helpless when it was time to be brave."

Chikorita swayed back and forth, listening to her parents, confused as to where they were going. Whenever they spoke to her like this, it usually meant they'd made some sort of decision together.

"Lately, your mother and I think we might be sheltering you a little too much. We want you to become the brave, little Chikorita you're destined to be, without fear of disappointing us."

"So we've decided to give you that opportunity. We want you to go on an adventure- to explore the wide, open world out there."

Charizard gave her a friendly rub on the head. "You'd be surprised how small our forest is when you come back."

Chikorita's back legs gave way as she sat down on the floor. "Y-you're making me leave by myself?"

Not a day went by when Chikorita hadn't thought of leaving the forest. Every day, at the top of the hill, she'd stare quietly at the empty field just beyond her home and invent stories about Pokémon she'd never met, of heroes and explorers traveling through the field on their way to more exciting locations.

But Chikorita knew the difference between stories and reality. She knew real life tended to be less glamorous, less thrilling, and a lot less safe than any of the stories she could conjure. Adventurers staying at the Explorer House more often told stories of nights where they'd huddle against a tree, using their bodies as a shield to protect their supplies from the rain, of days without water, forcing them to drink directly from puddles, hoping they wouldn't get parasites because of it. And with the recent upheaval of bad Pokémon, happy endings were becoming a scarcity.

"Absolutely not. We'd never send you out alone," her father said. "We'll send an explorer with you, to teach you all you need to know."

Meganium knelt down to her eye level. "And you're always welcome back home. We don't want to alienate or exile you. We just want you to grow up into a strong, healthy Pokémon."

With a sniffle, Chikorita tried her best to keep eye contact. "Absol?"

The two of them looked a little disheartened. Meganium was the first to respond. "We know Absol's been like a big sister to you... but... but she can't go on your journey. She and Gallade will be leaving in a few days to explore Forlorn Tower. That place is far too dangerous for you."

"What about your new friend though? I'm sure you, Gible, and that Bulbasaur could visit the nearby field tomorrow and find bugs there or something," Charizard said with a weak grin.

Chikorita scratched the ground with one of her hooves, sighing. "I guess so." She didn't mention Bulbasaur's strange outburst when he woke up or that she hardly knew him. As long as Gible was going along, everything would probably be all right. Gible wasn't a terribly exciting explorer, but he was a nice Pokémon and a calming influence.

"Do you want to tell Gible and Bulbasaur then, or would you like us to do it?" her mother asked.

"I can tell them," she said, trying not to sound ungrateful. She really did appreciate what they were trying to do, but to have the news dropped so suddenly made her uncomfortable. And even though Bulbasaur didn't seem like he had harmful intentions, she wasn't quite sure what to make of him yet. She would have liked some time to stop and think, but her parents seemed eager for her to leave.

There was a loud squeal just outside the door followed by a series of scratching sounds. Charizard ran to the door and opened it as fast as he could, only to find Axew sprawled out on the doorstep. Absol had a paw on her tail and was looking down at her contemptuously.

"What's going on out here?!" Charizard demanded.

"I didn't do nothing!" Axew insisted. "I was just playin' hide 'n' seek."

"You were going to paw through Bulbasaur's stuff," Absol growled. "You tricked him into playing your stupid game so you could ransack his belongings- just like you did to Psyduck."

"Bulbasaur didn't even bring anything," Chikorita said with a smirk.

"What? That's crazy!" Axew exclaimed, brushing herself off after pulling her tail free. "And I wasn't even doing that," she added, just in case anyone still believed her.

Meganium looked outside. "It's getting dark anyway. We should probably call everyone in."

"Allow me," Charizard said, puffing out his chest. He stepped outside and with the loudest voice he could muster, shouted, "DINNERTIME!"

Several heads poked out from their hiding places. Gible, Shuppet, and Bulbasaur all heard his cry and came running from various corners of the clearing, all eager for the promised food. Charizard laughed as all three of them shuffled in, gathering around the giant, round table in the center of the room.

Absol watched from outside the house, joined together like a mismatched but happy family. After everyone had settled into their places, she closed the door, lay down by a large rock atop the hill, and watched the distance intently.

* * *

Bulbasaur looked down at a plate of crisp, red apples and blue Oran berries. Although such foods were not foreign to humans, Bulbasaur hadn't thought about Pokémon exclusively eating such things. He'd always assumed they ate each other in some sort of unexplained food chain. It seemed almost laughable that a big, bad Charizard would be satisfied with some fruits and berries while so many small Pokémon gathered around him.

Chikorita made another conspicuous glance his way, believing herself terribly sneaky. Bulbasaur took note of this and tried to start a new conversation amid the louder ones.

"So... I never caught your name."

"I'm Chikorita," she said, taking another berry and popping it in her mouth. "Where did you come from?" she asked abruptly, her mouth still full of mashed berries.

Bulbasaur looked down at his ceramic plate. "I dunno," he said cautiously. "I'm having trouble thinking right now. Maybe I'm still shaken from that battle."

"Do you need to sleep?" she asked, double-checking to make sure there was a cot available to him. "If you have a concussion though-"

"Nah, nah I'll be fine. I'm still a little confused is all," he confessed as he nibbled on the skin of an apple. "I'm still not sure why I remember being a human when I'm clearly a Bulbasaur, y'know?"

"Maybe you've seen a human before?" she offered. "I heard one Pokémon say he saw a _whole army_ of them one time."

"Did this Pokémon tell you where?"

"No, he was sorta... sick... in the head. But maybe if you explored the area, maybe you might find something," she said, silently praising herself for the clever segue.

He turned to her. "I don't know the area though. And if there are bad Pokémon around, I couldn't possibly face them on my own. Honestly, I don't even know how to fight. I'm completely useless."

"You fought Machoke," she pointed out.

"I didn't even beat him though. And I don't think I could do it again," he admitted. "Not without someone like you protecting me."

He paused. Chikorita could see the gears turning in his brain. She anticipated the inevitable question.

"Do you think your parents could help?" Bulbasaur asked.

Chikorita blinked. She was surprised and slightly insulted he hadn't asked her to join him. She looked down at her food disappointingly, shuffling the food on her plate without clear intention.

"Yeah, probably, but I-"

She cut herself off, afraid she was speaking too hastily. Her heart nearly skipped a beat.

"Hm?"

She could feel Bulbasaur's eyes watching her. Sucking in a moderate gulp of air, she readied herself to speak again.

"I could help you too," she said, as she organized the food on her plate.

"Okay," he said nonchalantly, unaware of what he was agreeing to.

Suddenly, the whole room became awkwardly quiet. Several Pokémon were looking at Axew.

Charizard stood up. "I'm sure she's fine. She's probably out looking for Gallade."

"Who?" Bulbasaur asked. "What's going on?"

"Absol," Axew answered. "She's gone."

"I could go look for her," Gible volunteered.

"No one is looking for _anyone_ ," Charizard ordered. "It's dark out. If we go out and start looking for each other, pretty soon _all_ of us will be lost. Have a little faith in your fellow explorer."

No one spoke against him. The decision had been made. Instead, Shuppet lifted himself a little higher and gave a nod. "Thanking you for the food. It's time for sleeping for me."

A chorus of gratitude and agreement filled the room as Pokémon sat up and stretched.

Meganium smiled. "That's a good idea. It's a big day tomorrow," she said ambiguously.

Bulbasaur watched the explorers get into their respective beds as he waited for his opportunity to claim one. When everyone except Chikorita's parents were all settled, he made his choice. There were three mattresses available, but two of them were near Axew, making his choice easy. He chose the most remote bed, sandwiched between Chikorita's mattress and the wall.

"You mind if I sleep over here?" he asked, already laying his head down.

"I don't mind," Chikorita said softly as the weight of the day's events began to take its toll. She yawned and curled up in a ball, wrapping her leaf around herself like a blanket.

Bulbasaur watched as Charizard snuffed the lanterns out with his hands, leaving his fire tail as the only source of illumination left. But even that dim light faded as he and Meganium went downstairs, leaving the house quiet once more.


	5. Chapter 5: The World Outside

Chikorita woke to the sound of whimpering. She groggily looked around the dark room, searching for the source of the noise.

It didn't take long for her to realize he was sleeping nearby.

Bulbasaur was lying in a strange position- with his belly flush against the ground with his head pressed against the wall, grunting in discomfort every time he moved.

Through squinted and tired eyes she examined him. He looked just as she first found him, his face in a horrible grimace, desperately kicking at something he could never run away from. Seeing him in such a pathetic state, she couldn't help but pity him.

Focusing her energy into her leaf, she released an sweet aroma into the air, which settled down on Bulbasaur, soothing him. After seeing his posture change for the better, she curled back into a ball and continued to use her aromatherapy until sleep found her.

* * *

After accidentally hitting his head during the night, Bulbasaur found himself unable to go back to sleep. He tossed and turned but to no avail. At last, he gave up the endeavor and decided to take a walk. Being careful not to disturb any of the sleeping explorers, he tiptoed out the door, grateful there weren't any locking mechanisms keeping it closed.

He walked outside in the brisk night air and stopped to take a deep breath or two. He needed to clear his head after the last nightmare. His heart was racing, his breath unstable, and whatever unpleasant emotions his nightmare caused, they were taking their heavy toll on him. He just needed to get away from everything; he needed to move someplace he felt safe- someplace alone.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could see Machoke, staring down at him, grinning at him. He could feel his own fear begin to overwhelm him. But something else waged war with him. Every time he met eyes with that imaginary Machoke, he could see the same fear in his eyes. In those instances, he saw weakness- cowardice even- and it made him feel powerful again. A part of him still wanted to fight that Machoke and expose him for the coward he really was.

Bulbasaur tried not to think like that. He knew that was a dark path.

"What are you doing out here?" a voice demanded.

Bulbasaur was startled to find Absol, lying atop the hill, looking down at him with a frown.

"J-just getting some fresh air," he sputtered. "What about you?"

"Keeping watch."

"What're you looking for?"

Keeping him in her peripheral, she stared deep into the dark forest, watching the branches bend to the wind's fancy. Save the moon's pale glow, the night had swallowed up the shivering plants and playful creatures. There was an oppressive sense of loneliness in the cold air, weighing heavily on her. The world did not seem a pleasant place outside the comfort of the house- even the normally soft earth was cold and unyielding, sapping what warmth it could from the unfortunate ground-dwellers.

Yet the cold, the emptiness, the loneliness, while frightening to some, were not creatures of such magnitude that they were unassailable alone. In fact, on occasion, such troubles were a refreshing reminder of the world's true nature. Dutifully, she endured trials far more worrisome, purely for the sake of grounding herself in reality. It was too easy to forget life was gift freely given, but maintained at great cost.

"I'm not looking for anything," she answered tersely.

"You waiting for Gallade?" Bulbasaur asked, trying his best to figure her out. "Is that why you're out here?"

"You're partially right. I'm staying outside because Gallade is doing the same."

Bulbasaur furrowed his brow. "Well, I might not know him, but I'm sure he wouldn't want you to suffer for his sake."

Absol shook her head. "You wouldn't understand; Gallade and I are partners. We've always shared both our joys and tribulations together. His moments of happiness and suffering are my own. I'll gladly share his pain in spirit."

"That doesn't make any sense," Bulbasaur said. "It sounds like you're punishing yourself for getting the better deal is all."

Absol's face remained unchanged. To her, the conversation was over. "It's best if you went inside, Bulbasaur. You'll find the air outside is not entirely refreshing."

Bulbasaur sighed. "Alright. G'night, Absol."

"Oh, and Bulbasaur-"

"Hm?"

"Chikorita is a nice Pokémon; sometimes a little too nice for her own good. I trust you already know this?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Her smell. It's all over you, Bulbasaur. If I find out you've been taking advantage of her..."

She bare her claws threateningly, revealing the same weapons that sliced Doduo's throat only a few hours before.

"I'll cut you to ribbons, understand?"

Bulbasaur flinched. "Hey, you've got the wrong idea. I'm only interested in hu-"

He stopped short. He hadn't revealed his humanity to anyone except Chikorita. He didn't trust himself enough to tell everyone his crazy-sounding origin story. If he did, they'd surely ask questions- questions he couldn't answer. That was no way to earn trust with the explorers, much less Absol.

And if he were perfectly honest, he wasn't sure if he felt the same way about humans.

"I'm not interested in her. We only talked for a while at dinner, is all."

"You heard what I said. You'll have better luck running now than later if you're lying."

Bulbasaur huffed angrily, but didn't bother replying. He opened the door with a grunt and, after willing himself not to slam it in frustration, closed it softly behind him. Silently, he lay down on one of the straw mattresses near Axew and tossed and turned for the rest of the night.

* * *

Just as sunlight found its way into the room, there was a knock at the door, waking several of the explorers. Soon after, a tall figure invited himself in and stood before the stupefied crowd with a grin on his face.

"I'm back! Anyone miss me?"

Absol leapt down from her roost and stood in the doorway.

"It's good to see you again, Gallade."

The human-like Pokémon turned around. "Hey 'Sol! Anything cool happen while I was gone?"

The two met each other halfway and briefly touched hands, offering their usual greeting. Gallade had to stoop down to reach Absol's paw but neither seemed to notice their practiced motions.

"Not really. The Pokémon following me were easily taken care of. And on your side?"

Gallade sat down at the table and rested one of his blade-like arms carefully beside it. "I wish I were as lucky. One of them got me," he said, pointing to his right leg. Although the skin wasn't charred or flaking off, the signs of the burn were clearly visible.

"What happened?"

"After we split up, I lead those crazy Pokémon into a mystery dungeon, hoping they'd anger the residents more than I would. Turns out all those Pokémon were best buds or something, because they all instantly turned on me. Thankfully the place was full of tight corridors so I made them fight me one at a time."

Axew and Shuppet stood by, listening to his story unfold. Gible, seeing Axew completely enthralled in Gallade's words, joined in. Pretty soon the whole Explorer House had gathered around Gallade as he recounted his adventure. Although Gallade hadn't the silver tongue of many storytellers, he'd survived so many frightful escapades that his adventures never disappointed. Plus, he wasn't afraid to embellish the truth for an entertaining story.

After clearing his throat, the humanoid Pokémon recalled his epic tale.

"Pokémon after Pokémon kept charging me, each more eager than the last to land a solid hit on me. With my back against the wall, I fought my way through the line of challengers as they clamored over their fallen comrades for a moment of glory. They had such crazed looks in their eyes- my words meant nothing to them. They'd lost all sense of reason and sought to battle me at any costs to their numbers. I feared for my life."

Gallade stood up and lifted his arms in a fighting stance while Chikorita looked up at him in awe.

"One Pokémon, a Charmeleon more foolhardy than the rest of them, used his flamethrower breath in a desperate attempt to hurt me. He succeeded, but not before tearing down a long line of his allies. That's how I got this burn," he said, gesturing to the affected region.

"I can help with that!" Chikorita offered.

"Thanks, Chiki. That'd be nice. Lemme finish the story first though."

"Oh, alright," she said, slipping back into the crowd.

Gallade breathed in, collecting his thoughts. After remembering where he was in the story, he began again.

"Oh yeah! So I didn't know what to do, yeah? The hallway was so small and so long; there was no way I could attack the Charmeleon before he'd unleash another of those attacks. I thought I was done for. Bracing myself for the next fire attack, I lay down on the ground, using the fallen Pokémon as a makeshift shield. But the attack never came. Instead, I heard a whisper-like sound, like a gust of wind, and then the Charmeleon just up and left.

"What happened?" Gible asked. "Was Charmeleon looking for the source of the noise?"

"I don't really know. I wasn't really watching from behind the pile of bodies, I just heard him leave. A while later, I looked around for other Pokémon, but couldn't find any, except for the goners. Maybe they went deeper in, or maybe they ran from the noise. Either way, I was glad to leave with just a minor burn."

"Do you think those Pokémon were following orders from someone?" Absol offered.

Charizard spoke up. "That's not very likely. Bad Pokémon usually act alone, or in some instances, in poorly-maintained groups. They're too short-sighted to accept anyone's rule."

Shuppet raised his cloth, signaling his intent to speak. "I can know a possibility. What if there is the Windsmother?"

Several Pokémon flinched at Shuppet's words. Axew smacked him upside the head.

"We'll have none of that," Charizard warned.

Bulbasaur had no idea who or what "Windsmother" was, but thought against asking at that moment. When Chikorita wasn't guarded by Absol, he could ask her later.

"Anyway, that's my tale. So what's the plan for today?" Gallade asked. "Where's everyone headed?"

"Don't you want to rest first?" Absol said, inviting him to an empty mattress.

"I'm fine, 'Sol. I had a good night's sleep and breakfast of delicious berries, compliments to the bushes outside the cave."

Axew cleared her throat. "Shuppet and I are gonna keep watch over the forest 'n' stuff. We'll be back in time for dinner."

"I'm sure you will be," Meganium said. "Try not to get into any mischief out there, you two."

After giving a mock salute, Axew nodded her head. "You can count on us! Maybe Bulbasaur would like to come along..."

Chikorita looked up, her leaf still glowing as she was healing Gallade's wound. "Oh, wait! He's with me!" she cried, much to the confusion of several Pokémon, including Bulbasaur.

"Sorry, Axew," Meganium said with a smile. "Chikorita's going on her first expedition and will need a few friends to guide her. Unless Bulbasaur is opposed to the plan?"

"Not at all," he said, giving a passing glance at Absol. "Who else is going?"

"I'm willing and able," Gible noted, offering his help with a raise of his hand.

"Yes, please. That would be nice," Chikorita responded before her mother could.

Charizard looked down at newly-formed group proudly. "Perfect! Looks like you three are a team then. Make sure to get along out there."


	6. Chapter 6: Departure

After thanking Chikorita for her healing work, Gallade approached Bulbasaur.

"Hey, bud. I don't think we've been officially introduced. I'm Gallade, the best swordsman in the whole forest."

He gave a flamboyant bow, making sure to whip his arms about with a flourish.

"I'm Bulbasaur, I guess," he said with a respectful nod.

"You don't sound very sure of yourself," Gallade noted jokingly.

Absol walked up next to her partner. "You shouldn't tease the guest, Gallade. He's only been here a day."

"Toughens him up," he said, giving him a smile. "He's got that dopey sort of look right now."

"Hey!" Bulbasaur protested.

Gallade leaned closer to him. "I wanna see what's behind that mask you're wearing, Bulbasaur. Lemme see that warrior spirit you've been hiding. Show me your killer face."

" _Killer_ face? I've never killed anyone," he scoffed.

"You never wanted to rip apart some deserving fool? Never wanted to make your enemies _squeal_?"

"I- I don't want to hurt _anyone_."

"That's not an option, bud. When you go on an expedition, you gotta be prepared to face _anything_ , including other Pokémon. Not everyone shares your same feelings."

Absol bent down to Bulbasaur's eye level. "He's right. We're trusting you with Chikorita. Don't take that responsibility lightly, you hear? Do _whatever it takes_ to make sure she comes out safely."

"I'll do my best," he said solemnly. "But I'm not her bodyguard. She could probably fight better than me, honestly."

"Then don't start fights," Absol said. "If Gible has his way, he'll want to stay close to home. I'd recommend listening to him and keeping out of trouble."

"I can do that. You might want to tell Chikorita though; I think _she's_ in charge."

Absol looked back at the healer, who was setting the table for breakfast. Her brow was furrowed with thought as she counted the plates multiple times to make sure she hadn't forgotten anyone.

With a parting nod to Bulbasaur, Absol walked over to her.

After she left, Gallade grinned. "You guys'll be fine. If you see a bad Pokémon though, make sure to give 'em a good thrashing for me, 'eh? When 'Sol and I are back from Forlorn Tower, I wanna hear about the battles you guys have."

"If we have any."

"Oh, you will. Despite the fact that bad Pokémon are completely sterile, they seem to be everywhere now. They must be breeding with normal Pokémon or something."

He chuckled. "But I can't believe anyone'd be willing to do that."

* * *

Gible slung his treasure bag over his shoulder, being careful not to accidentally drop the supplies he kept in them. Out of the three of them, he was the most prepared, a fact he relished as he explained the various necessities they'd use during their journey.

"This here jar-thingy is a water filter. If we can't get any water from rain or rapids, we can always scoop some from a murky pond with this. It won't get rid of everything, but at least you won't be puking everywhere if it's terribly nasty. Oh, and these sticks are for splints, see? We probably won't break any legs out there, but you never know. And here's some twine. We can use this for a lotta stuff. It doesn't make a very good tripwire, but we can still-"

"Gible?" Bulbasaur interrupted, his exasperation clearly written on his face. "Don't you think we have enough stuff? We're only gonna be out for a couple of days, right?"

He put up a chubby finger proudly. "Dehydration, hypothermia, bad Pokémon, all these things could kill us. Better to come prepared, doncha think?"

"I can carry a little more," Chikorita noted, as she adjusted the strap on her bag.

"I'll give you the first aid kit," Bulbasaur said, handing over the small box. "You could probably use it better than me."

Gible sighed happily and glanced at the two of them, satisfied. "Alright, you guys ready to go?"

Chikorita put the kit into her bag. "Can we say goodbye to everyone first?" Chikorita asked.

"It'd be hard not to," Bulbasaur said with a chuckle. "I'll bet your parents are upstairs waiting for you."

"Make sure your bags are nice and secure and let's get movin' then," Gible said with a grunt.

Chikorita nodded. She looked around the dim library solemnly and headed for the stairs. "I'm gonna miss this place," she said sadly.

"You'll be back," Gible assured her.

She gave a weak smile in response.

* * *

"Heading out?" Meganium asked, seeing the group emerge from downstairs. Charizard stood next to her, his arm on her neck as they stood side-by-side.

"Yup!" Chikorita said, making sure to give her parents a smile.

"We'll be back in about a week," Gible said. "Hopefully everyone won't be adventured-out by then."

"We'll miss you," Meganium said, leaning down to make direct eye contact with her daughter. "If you get hurt or scared, remember you can come back here anytime. This isn't supposed to be a test, so don't push yourself too hard; just try and learn all you can, okay?"

"Okay," she said. "I'm gonna miss you too, mom."

"Dad too?" Charizard asked with a grin.

"You too, Dad. Love you both."

She gave a wave with her front leg and took a deep breath. Then she opened the door and stepped outside, taking the first step on her big adventure. She could hear several explorers from inside the house, cheering her on, encouraging her as she struggled to maintain her composure. With a tearful smile, she walked into the distance, with Gible and Bulbasaur not far behind.

* * *

The cotton dragon lighted upon the rampart, watching the nearby Pokémon toil beneath the stormy skies. One of the Pokémon, a boneclad warrior of many winters, watched Altaria with vengeful eyes. With white knuckles, he clutched the femur of his mother- the last relic of her existence. In the other hand, he grasped his frail chest, reminding himself that death- a once bashful individual- had become emboldened by his weakening body.

It was for this reason that he had avoided assimilation. Even the most despicable of Pokémon couldn't find use for an elderly Marowak, so they left him alone. But they had underestimated him. With nothing to lose and a grudge to settle, Marowak had everything to gain from killing one of the slavers. As fortune would have it, Altaria himself was visiting to monitor the construction of his fortress.

From the muddy ditch he watched Altaria walk around importantly, unaware of the danger he was in. Marowak looked down at his feet. All around him were rusty spikes, half-buried bones, and sharpened sticks to make the ditch all the more hazardous. Carefully navigating through the forest of spikes, he clambered onto the platform.

Breathless from the exertion and the burden of age, he lay, sprawled out on the ground, just a short distance from the fluffy Pokémon.

Altaria turned around, somewhat alarmed at the unexpected visitor, but confident in the loyalty of his workers. He noticed Marowak's weakened condition and came to him.

"Are you injured?" he asked, stooping down to examine him.

"Gravely," he spat as he stood up shakily. "I've been bitten by a snake. Its poison has already reached my vitals."

He raised his bone club high into the air. "But I can still kill the snake with my dying breath."

Marowak brought the makeshift weapon down on Altaria's head. With a surprised grunt, Altaria stumbled backward and fell into the ditch. Splinters and bones bore through his cotton wings, impaling him. He shrieked and flapped about, trying to free himself from the spikes, but only multiplied his suffering.

Marowak wasn't done yet. He didn't mean to injure him- he meant to kill him. He recklessly leapt at Altaria, landing on top of him, but skewering himself in the process. Fueled by his fury, he was able to ignore the pain as he continued to bash Altaria's face with his club over and over, desperate to spear Altaria's head on the spikes below and decisively end his life. Dozens of nearby Pokémon ran over and pulled on Marowak's arms and legs, trying to separate him from his enemy. This drove him into a frenzy. He fought like a madman, clawing at him, ripping out chunks of cotton fur in his desperation.

Marowak thrashed as several arms pulled him apart, twisting his limbs into submission. Eventually Marowak was overpowered and dragged away. As he was being carried off, he could see Altaria's chest rising and falling as he sucked in painful, shallow breaths- a clear indication he was still alive.

The slavers brought him to the fortress where he was given a mock trial. After they practiced their martial arts on him, he was hung on a nearby tree. His body was not removed afterward.


	7. Chapter 7: Friends

Chikorita bent down, plucked a dandelion and began nibbling on it thoughtfully. Her mind was on the future- namely its uncertainty. It wouldn't be long before they'd leave the forest and discover the outside world, dangers and all. And although she trusted Gible's leadership, she couldn't help worrying he'd overestimate her abilities. The fear of her inadequacy, although rational, prevented her from enjoying what was basically a glorified picnic. She knew this, and felt all the more silly for it, but also knew over time, she'd eventually get used to the idea of exploring, despite its apparent risk. She felt hope knowing the feeling would pass as she gained confidence in herself.

Bulbasaur, however was not in such a healthy state of mind. He had elected to stare wistfully off into the cloudy distance, his mind in another, less pleasant world. To any other Pokémon, he might appear to be reminiscing on the mistakes of his past, but Bulbasaur hadn't the luxury of such memories. Instead, he pondered the implications of his current state of mind. Not believing himself to be a violent person, he wondered why he was constantly being barraged by violent thoughts.

At first, he believed them to be the effect of the recent encounter with the bad Pokémon. After being forced into such a horrible conflict, it was understandable he should be shaken, furious at the Pokémon even, but not so fixated on hurting them. In his imagination, his cruelty was limitless and his power unimaginable; but as long as those Pokémon remained in his imagination, only his mind truly suffered.

He looked over at Gible, who was checking the supplies. Because Gible had such a large mouth, while he was digging through the bags, it looked as though he were eating them. Bulbasaur chuckled. He wondered how many fights Gible had been in; and if such fights had affected his mind the same way. If they had, he certainly didn't show it.

For that matter, Chikorita was there and she seemed perfectly normal, happy even. He glanced over at her and she almost immediately returned his gaze, as if expecting it. He gave a half smile and looked back at the darkening skies. She was nothing if not strange. Several times along their journey she asked them to stop so she could pick flowers, harvest herbs, or catch a bug on her leaf. Although such stops weren't to the frequency of annoyance, they were frequent enough to warrant questions.

Every time Bulbasaur asked, she'd point to the bug or plant in question and tell him its name. For some plants, Bulbasaur was sure she was making up fancy-sounding words, but she was always able to explain its growing patterns, its preparation methods, and even the way it spread its seeds. Almost every plant seemed to have some medicinal use, although most affected the digestive track in some way, which Chikorita addressed with a surprising amount of maturity.

Most plants didn't seem terrible useful, however. Unlike the fast-acting medicines of the human world, herbs took days, weeks even to heal. Rather than attacking the problem directly, herbs tended to aid the body in its fight. To Bulbasaur, such indirect methods of healing were hardly worth the wait.

Of all the things to be interested in though, nature was probably one of the better choices, considering her environment. In a way, Bulbasaur was a little jealous of her knowledge and dedication to her hobby. Unable to recall any talents of his own, he could only follow in her footsteps and wait for a breakthrough of some sort. In time, he'd learn who he was through his actions.

* * *

To the less-than-impressive group of three explorers, the sky terrified them. What were once puffs of gray clouds had grown into massive pillars of menacing darkness. The heavens were waiting to unleash its fury on the helpless residents beneath. They had only a short time before the expected downpour would wash them away.

Even though Gible was eager to show Chikorita the world outside the forest, it would have to wait until the storm passed. Directing them to a cave, he cautioned them to not venture into its depths, but instead make a temporary shelter just inside the mouth.

"We'll make camp here. First, let's grab as much firewood as we can before it gets all wet, all right? Let's split up but keep in sight of each other."

A blast of wind shook the undergrowth and challenged the trees. A few of the green leaves were torn from their places and scattered below. The whole forest moaned as it anticipated the inevitable destruction. Bulbasaur and Chikorita understood the seriousness of the situation and immediately set to work gathering all they could.

A short time later, Bulbasaur felt the first drops of rain. Immediately, he yelled to his companions that he was returning to the cave. Gible and Chikorita, after glancing at the sky, decided he had the right idea. With large bundles of wood in their hold, they ran back to the cave just before the sky unleashed its watery legion on the unprepared earth below.

The group set their gear and wood in two separate piles and set to work on the fire. Gible searched through the bags and pulled out a box of wood shavings. Then he began to stack the wood in a teepee shape, putting the less flammable pieces of wood on the outside and the more volatile sticks on the inside. In the meantime, Chikorita was pulling out various plant parts and setting them aside.

Because Bulbasaur was hardly an outdoorsman, he had no idea how he could help. He sat off to the side, waiting until someone asked him for something, which never happened. The other two went through their practiced motions, clearly not needing his help at all.

Seeing that Bulbasaur felt left out, Chikorita spoke up.

"So how are you enjoying adventuring so far?" she asked. " _I_ think it's pretty fun. We've seen a lot of cool places so far, haven't we? Like the little waterfall with the fish or the row of raspberry bushes..."

"Just you wait," Gible said clapping his hands together excitedly, "until we reach the field. That's when the adventure _really_ begins."

Bulbasaur thought for a moment. "It's okay. There's a lot of walking and quiet moments, which is nice. Don't really like the bugs or carrying around a heavy bag all the time though," he said, leaning against his pack. "I'm always afraid of losing something important."

"You _always_ lose something important on an adventure," Gible said with a dismissive wave. "Just be careful or you'll find yourself losing more than you can afford to."

With that, Gible began the often-frustrating process of making a fire. Luckily for the other two, he was quite practiced at the art. After making indentations in a plank of wood with his teeth, he was eventually able to carve out a place for a smooth stick and the birth of black embers. After only a few minutes, and with the help of Chikorita's collected tree sap, a fire was raised from their efforts.

As the fire grew, Gible began to consolidate the wood they'd gathered. As soon as he reached Bulbasaur's section of the pile, he laughed.

"Hey, Bulbasaur, you wanna try burnin' this here wood?" he asked, holding up a slightly blue tree branch.

"What's wrong with it?" Bulbasaur demanded.

Chikorita saw what Gible was holding up and laughed. "Silly, that's from a neverburn tree. We can't use that for a fire."

"Neverburn? Does that mean..."

"Yup!" Chikorita said with a smile. "That's what my house is made of. If it weren't for neverburn wood, my dad would have accidentally burnt the place down long ago."

"Oh," Bulbasaur muttered quietly, feeling quite foolish for not noticing such details. "So we can't use it at all?"

Gible shrugged. "You have some other wood here too, so it's not a total loss. It was my bad for not tellin' ya. Sorry 'bout that."

"The fire will be all right though, won't it?" Bulbasaur asked.

"Oh, yeah for a while: until we get to sleep. We'll be fine, honest," Gible said.

Chikorita walked over to Bulbasaur. After pulling out a branch with her surprisingly strong leaf, she placed it in front of him.

"See, neverburn is blue. That's a dead giveaway. You can also check the grain on the wood. See how they form zigzag patterns instead of smooth lines? Oh, and the bark on neverburn doesn't flake off. It's almost part of the wood itself."

Bulbasaur nodded. "Got it. I'll remember next time. I'm just not familiar with this stuff is all."

Gible moved closer to the fire and extended his hands. "Yeah, this forest is kinda unique. It's one of the few places neverburn grows I think. The tree is actually kinda rare too- you were just unlucky I guess."

"Yay me," Bulbasaur said, rolling his eyes.

"So where ya from, anyway?" Gible asked.

Bulbasaur swallowed. Chikorita scooted closer to him and watched his reaction carefully.

"No idea, actually. I don't even remember who I was. I was hoping this adventure would help me remember."

Gible folded his arms. "Well what's your oldest memory then?"

Bulbasaur thought for a moment. Then his eyes widened. He remembered the nightmare he had just before waking.

"When I woke up," he said with a respectable amount of tact. "And Chikorita was there."

Gible smiled. "That's really cool, actually. I guess that's why you two seem so close, despite having just met."

They both looked at each other, their eyebrows furrowed. "How so?" Bulbasaur asked, slightly annoyed at his presumptuous remark.

Gible backed off a little. "Oh, I didn't want to imply anything. I just noticed you guys are acting like friends, talking together, walking together, y'know?"

When Bulbasaur thought about it, Gible had a point. Even though very little was said between him and Chikorita in the way of small talk, she was constantly pointing out different landmarks and plants to him, even recalling short stories about them. But when Bulbasaur thought about those times, he couldn't remember Gible ever joining their conversations. It was quite possible their guide was feeling left out.

"You're fine, Gible," Chikorita said nervously. "We're all friends, right?"

She looked around the room, checking their reactions. Both gave a hesitant nod. The three travelers said no more.

It wasn't long before the group's silence reminded them of the storm outside: the rain had grown quite loud and the wind much more fierce. A flash of light preceded an earth-shattering boom, shaking the cave and its residents. Everyone scooted closer together, comforted by the fire's warmth and the company of the others. It was too early, too loud, and too frightening to sleep. So the three of them huddled together, quietly wishing the storm would pass soon.

* * *

With only a dying fire and the company of one another to comfort them, the group had become increasingly dreary at the thought of ending the day on such a sour note. Worse, the cave had little to offer in the way of warmth- the dry ground beneath them was slowly sapping their energy. Thankfully Gible had brought along a couple of blankets just in case, making the experience much more tolerable.

Chikorita and Bulbasaur graciously accepted the blankets and wrapped themselves tightly to conserve what little warmth they had left. Both slept near the gear, using the bags as a soft wall to lean against. Because there were only two blankets to spare, Gible had to dig a small burrow near the fire and curl up inside there. It wasn't as good as a soft blanket, but it was better than nothing. The fire had even heated up the ground around it, which was pleasant to Pokémon and animal alike. Gible made a mental note to himself to check for snakes and other small surprises when waking up, as they'd be naturally drawn to the prospect of a warm night.

In his cramped position below the ground, he could hear Chikorita and Bulbasaur laughing together. He turned on his side and pressed his head against the dirt to stifle the noise. He wanted to wish them a good night, but didn't want them to hear his shaky, muffled voice. Reminding them of his circumstance would only ruin their happy moment together.

He sniffed and shook away whatever residual weariness he carried to bed with him. Although the day was disappointing, Chikorita was happy and healthy, which meant he was doing his job. He had done well, despite how he felt, and that was enough to carry him through the next day. With this thought, slowly, his breathing steadied and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Bulbasaur felt something poke the top of his head. He opened his eyes and looked around. Chikorita was watching him with a suspicious look on her face, hiding a grin behind a facade of disinterest. He pretended not to notice and turned his back to her, and watched the faint shadows on the cave wall. The light hadn't completely left the cave yet, making their silhouettes barely visible against the rocky canvas.

Almost as soon as he did, he could see Chikorita spring into action. After checking to make sure he couldn't see her, she poked him with her leaf again and hid back in her blanket as if nothing had happened. Luckily for Bulbasaur, he saw the whole thing.

He turned around to see Chikorita trying to pull off the innocent act. She met his eyes after he continued watching her with a wrinkled brow.

"Hi," she said, trying to stifle a smile.

"Did you poke me?" he asked, his deadpan tone the cause of a fit of giggles. Bulbasaur couldn't help but laugh a little after hearing her do the same.

"Oh, no no, never," she said afterward, her mouth involuntarily curling upward. She was a terrible liar.

"Well now I get to poke you back," he said, turning his back again, much to Chikorita's confusion.

"Well...?"

"I'm saving it," he explained, "for later. Who knows? I might sell the right to the Poke Monster when I'm short on cash."

She scooted over to him and gave him a nudge. "You can't do that."

"Now I get two pokes," he said with a yawn. He nestled against the bags curled up in a ball, completely tuckered out from the long walk.

Chikorita settled back into her blanket and did the same. "No waking me up though."

Bulbasaur gave a tired "hmmm" to show he heard her before he allowed sleep to take him. Chikorita followed not long after, still holding her smile in the land of dreams.


	8. Chapter 8: Solitude

Ceaselessly the voice demanded his will be broken. Bulbasaur stood over the weakened Doduo, torn apart by Absol's claws, a bloody mess of a Pokémon and a pitiful creature. Having lost one of her heads, and half of herself, she had lost the strength to fight back. She accepted whatever fate should offer her, and that fate rested with Bulbasaur, who was pacing beside her.

"I wanted to kill you," Doduo said in a raspy tone. "I still want to kill you."

"Don't let her do that!" a gruff voice commanded.

Bulbasaur turned around to see the voice belonged to Absol, who stood off to the side, watching him.

"If she heals, she'll hurt other Pokémon. She's a _bad_ Pokémon. This is your chance, Bulbasaur. Finish what I started."

Bulbasaur began to pace at a furious rate, his eyes glued to the floor as multiple feelings burned within him at once. "I can't!" he shouted. "This doesn't feel right!"

"I'll kill you and everyone you love!" Doduo screeched. "Your mercy will be the death of your precious friends!"

"Shut up! Everyone! _Shut up_! I don't want to hurt anyone!"

Doduo pecked at his leg, sending a sharp pain through his body. Blinded by the pain, he kicked Doduo in the side and stepped back, horrified at his sudden change.

"He doesn't want to hurt anyone!" Doduo mocked, between thick coughs.

Bulbasaur fell to the floor, overwhelmed. His heart was racing so fast, he could hardly think straight. Still, for that brief outburst, he felt relief, however brief it was. He savored the moment, even though it disgusted him. He wanted to kick her again, harder.

"She deserved it," Absol said, her voice growing stronger.

"You're too scared to fight back!" Doduo taunted. "You don't even care what I do to your friends!"

Bulbasaur stood up and growled, seething with anger.

"What friends?!" he spat.

He tried to step forward, but his whole body jolted. His eyes flew open and he realized he was dreaming. Worse, he was sleepwalking. He was standing beside Chikorita, his heart practically beating out of his chest. He swallowed and took several steps back, looking around him to make sure he hadn't done anything terrible in his sleep.

After recovering from his initial confusion, he looked outside to see an approximate time, before realizing the pointlessness of doing so. Because he knew little of the natural world, all he knew was the world was dark- very dark. The rain still poured and the outside looked quite bleak from where he stood, making the darkness seem even colder.

He slowly walked back to the gear, not quite ready to go to sleep again, especially after he'd nearly stepped on Chikorita in his bout of sleepwalking- a condition he never knew he had. For her sake, he'd have to make sure to sleep farther away from the group next time.

He began to walk around in silence, listening to the heavy rain and gentle breathing of the other explorers. He shivered. He didn't feel like he belonged among them. Not only did he lack basic survival skills, but he was beginning to question his sanity. In the quiet moment, he had the time to think on such things and did so for many minutes.

At last he realized sleep was impossible for him. He decided to explore deeper in the cave. Taking an unlit glass lamp from the bag, he put it beside the still-glowing embers of a once great fire. He noticed the blue logs stacked to the side, a reminder of his many failures on the expedition. There were many times when he felt like just another mouth to feed, another mule to carry some of the burden of their traveling supplies, but not much else. The pleasant moments with Chikorita was all he had to look forward to.

It didn't take him long to give up hope of finding anything human-related on their travels. Gible knew nothing about such things and Chikorita was equally as ignorant on the subject. Believing he'd discover his past through exploration was just a lie he told himself to keep going, to motivate himself, knowing the uncomfortable truth: he would never become human again. When came down to it, there was little reason for him to stay with the group, except to keep them company. He couldn't offer anything except conversation, and he wasn't terribly skilled at that either.

In addition, Bulbasaur had become increasingly concerned that whatever company he brought, it wasn't all pleasant. Why Chikorita's parents trusted him enough to join in their daughter's trip was beyond him, but he knew if he stayed with her too long, he might end up hurting her, accidentally or otherwise.

Bulbasaur pressed some dried leaves into the embers, setting some of them ablaze long enough to light the lamp's candle. With a tiny flame to light his path, he held up the lamp with one of his vines, and set out deeper in the cave.

* * *

Chikorita rolled over, pulling the blanket tightly around her. Through the haze of sleep, she noticed there was an extra blanket stretched over her. Blinking in the darkness, she looked for Bulbasaur but couldn't find him. She sat up, worried that he'd gone out in the rain.

That's when she noticed the light deeper in the cave flickering out. Believing the light to be a lost Bulbasaur, she set out to follow him. Taking one of the neverburn sticks, she quickly coated it with a flammable resin and lit her new torch. It wouldn't last long, but it would be enough to investigate the light and come back with time to spare. Holding the torch with her leaf, she tiptoed past the sleeping Gible. Then, after taking a deep breath to gather her courage, she dove into the cold abyss.

It didn't take long for her to realize the path she took was unnaturally smooth. The walls lacked the organic twists and turns typical of caverns, rather, they formed straight corridors and rectangular rooms. It wasn't until she saw the Stun Seeds scattered on the floor that she realized she had walked into a mystery dungeon.

Mystery dungeons were dangerous places: not only were they the territory of bad Pokémon and dangerous traps alike, but their layout was constantly changing. This made navigating through the levels an inconsistent task. Any explorer brave enough to enter came prepared to face any challenge- or suffered the fatal consequences.

Chikorita looked around hesitantly. Every second she spent there was a second too long. She needed to leave.

But then she saw Bulbasaur in one of the rooms, carrying a foggy lantern and walking about aimlessly, almost begging to be attacked. If he was new to the area, he might not realize the dangerous game he was playing. Not wanting to disturb the Pokémon in the area, she decided against calling out to him. Instead, she began her reluctant trek across the dungeon floor, carefully avoiding the Stun Seeds lying on the ground. She knew if she stepped on even one of those seeds, her whole body would become immobile, essentially helpless. Because of this, bad Pokémon would often throw them at unwary travelers. Thankfully even the slightest touch from friend or foe would release them, so it was always better to travel in a group.

She looked ahead. Much to her frustration, Bulbasaur, who was apparently oblivious to her presence, continued walking away. Thankfully, no Pokémon appeared to challenge them. The place seemed empty. Almost eerily so.

Eventually Bulbasaur came upon a set of stairs, which looked somewhat out-of-place in the cavern. To anyone unused to mystery dungeons and their oddities, the idea of walking down stairs in the middle of cave would be laughable. But Bulbasaur, despite being unfamiliar with the Pokémon world, shuffled down them with little hesitation.

Chikorita hurriedly followed his footsteps, now curious to know what he was doing.

Below was a single, large room that appeared to be empty. Chikorita was immediately suspicious- usually such rooms were the dwelling places of strong Pokémon, who took refuge beneath mystery dungeons and waited for worthy challengers. Such Pokémon lived to fight; they thought of nothing else, making them incredibly dangerous.

"Bulbasaur," Chikorita whispered, "let's go back."

Bulbasaur looked back at her, unsurprised by her presence. He shook his head. "Leave me alone."

He turned his back on her and set his lantern down. He lay prostrate and was silent once again.

Chikorita put her torch down and approached him. She put one of her hooves on his shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Maybe I can help."

"Please, just go..." Bulbasaur pleaded.

"No. I'm not going to leave my friend like this. If you have a burden, we'll share it together."

"I'm not your friend," he hissed. "I can _never_ be your friend."

Her heart skipped a beat and a lump formed in her throat. She removed her hoof and swallowed. His words stung, but she didn't want to lash out and make the situation worse.

"Don't say that! Anyone can become friends!" she yelled. She never told him, but Bulbasaur was the closest thing she had to a companion. Although the other Pokémon at the Explorer House loved her and cared for her, most saw her as a little sister- someone to protect and cherish- but never as an equal. Bulbasaur was the first Pokémon that treated her as a real friend, as someone to spend time with for no other reason than to enjoy her company.

Bulbasaur could hear the hurt in her voice. He had no wish to hurt her, but knew if he severed the connection early, her wounds would heal. Now was the time for honesty.

"Not me," he said. "This is where I belong. You belong upstairs. So go."

"You don't belong here in this dark cave. This is where-"

"Where bad Pokémon live!" Bulbasaur shouted, getting up. "Don't you get it?! I _am_ a bad Pokémon!"

Chikorita nearly stumbled at his words. "No you're not! Bad Pokémon don't feel guilt. I dunno what happened to make you feel this way, but I know you wanna change. You can. Whatever problem you have, we can fix together."

"You don't even know what you're saying. There's _nothing_ you can do," Bulbasaur said, his eyes clouding over. "Every night I dream such horrible things- every waking hour, I think such horrible things. It's only a matter of time..."

"Adorable," a raspy voice mocked. "Nightmares gnawing. Baby cries."

Chikorita grabbed the torch and began looking around the room frantically for the source of the noise.

The speaker gave a wheezy laugh. "Look up."

She did. That's when she noticed the ceiling was glistening brightly, as if coated with something shiny. She gasped.

"Run for it!" she screamed.

Bulbasaur looked in the direction of the voice. That's when he saw the speaker- a giant multicolored spider scuttling above them. The ceiling was covered in his sticky web.

Bulbasaur grabbed his lantern and dashed for the exit. The spider, laughing maniacally at the thought of such fearful prey, scurried past them and dropped down in front of the stairs. "Running?" he asked, taunting them with a a twitch of his long legs. "Leaving? No... not me."

"We don't want to fight you, Ariados," Chikorita began, "but we will if we have to. Won't we Bulbasaur?"

Bulbasaur crouched. "Let her go and fight me instead. She was trying to stop me from challenging you."

Ariados coughed. His head was constantly shaking, as if his neck were trying to free itself, making his movements even more unpredictable. Some of his legs nearly gave way, making his body jolt. "You lie. Both scared of me. Cowards."

Chikorita suddenly charged Ariados, screaming and swinging her torch wildly. The strange motion of the bright torch and the loud noise she made confused him long enough for her land a solid blow. With his face burnt and his hairs singed, he stumbled about, hissing.

Bulbasaur, seeing the turn of events, ran at him. This time, Ariados was prepared. He opened his mouth and shot a sticky web at his feet, causing him to trip. The lantern fell and shattered, extinguishing its light.

Chikorita dashed for the spider, hoping to tackle him to the ground. Ariados lowered his head and revealed a long thorn, threatening to run her through. She stopped and began to wave the torch around again, making it difficult for his eyes to adjust to the varying shades of light.

Bulbasaur shot his vines forward and grabbed the largest shard of the lantern by the handle. Then, in one swift motion, he swiped at Ariados and cut him across the eye, blinding him. Blood trickled down his face as he struggled to watch both Pokémon with his working eye.

Chikorita stepped back, breathing heavily. "Give up, Ariados. If we keep fighting, we might injure you further."

Ariados gave a series of violent coughs that shook his entire body. He glared at them between his fits. "My eye... my home..."

"Don't play the victim," Bulbasaur growled. " _You're_ the one that's blocking our way out."

"No... that's not it..." Chikorita looked back at the spider. "Ariados live in colonies. But here you are, fighting us alone."

She pointed at Ariados. "You were left behind weren't you?"

Ariados' face visibly changed. He was seething with anger. "Abandoned!" he shrieked. "Sick they said! Dying!"

He scratched the cave wall with his legs and gave a wheezy cough. "I won't die alone!"

In his crazed state, he lunged at them. In an instant Bulbasaur grabbed one of his legs yanked him down. There was a loud snapping sound as he was thrown to the ground. The force of the lunge, pull, and fall had mangled his leg, rendering it useless. Ariados screamed in agony. Whimpering as a beaten child, he hobbled to the corner of the room.

"Get out!" he shouted. "Gone!"

He fell to the ground and began to cry, clutching his leg.

"I can ease your pain," Chikorita offered. "I know an herbal remedy-"

"Leave! _Hurts_!" he yelled banging his head against the wall. His horn made loud scratching sounds.

Chikorita felt sick to her stomach. She knew there was little she could do for him. The remedy she spoke of was merely a tranquilizer. She had no opiates or medicines to ease his pain. His suffering was inevitable.

In utter silence, she slowly walked up the stairs, replaying the situation in her mind, wondering if there was any other way she could have prevented the fight. As she and Bulbasaur left the room, she took one last look down at Ariados. He was crawling across the floor, wincing as each movement caused his leg to drag beneath him.

As soon as Chikorita left, Ariados grabbed one of the glass shards. Crying and shaking, he punctured his neck. Then, with the last of his remaining willpower, he slit his throat.


	9. Chapter 9: Rekindling

Chikorita pressed her face against the bag, hiding her anguish. Images of Ariados sprawled in pain, his eye cut and leg broken, haunted her. The spider didn't have to challenge them. He didn't have to fight. So why did he? Was it the hopelessness that drove him to violence? Could she have talked him down? Could she have helped him?

She squeezed her eyes shut. She needed to be stronger. There were too many bad Pokémon to feel sorry for. Even if it meant being cold-hearted, she couldn't afford to give the Pokémon power over her. She had a family waiting for her back at home, Pokémon that loved her and wanted to see her return safely. She couldn't afford to falter in her moment of trial.

Chikorita lifted her head from the bag and looked over at Bulbasaur, who was sifting through the ash wistfully. A thought came to her. A great deal of her mental fortitude came from her upbringing and constant support from her companions. But to those without such blessings, the burdens of the world would weigh all the heavier on their minds. Perhaps, then, the major difference between good and bad Pokémon wasn't in their morals, but in their outlook.

Chikorita pushed her bag aside and stood up. Unable to watch Bulbasaur's wearied expression any longer, she decided to help him. It was clear he needed a friend just as much as she did.

Chikorita came over and sat down beside him. He flinched slightly at her entrance, but made no motion to leave.

"Look," she said. "The rain's stopped."

Bulbasaur looked outside. It was still dark, but the storm was reduced to a gentle shower. He sighed and looked at her.

"Hey," he said, pressing his lips together nervously. "I- I'm sorry for what I said before. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings or anything. I was just so scared of what I was becoming... and, well... anyway, if you weren't there, that spider woulda got me, so thanks."

He gave his best smile, which faded all too quickly. Chikorita appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

"I just wish things would have turned out differently," she said with a shiver.

Bulbasaur made circles in the ash with his claws. "Me too."

There was a quiet moment as both were lost in deep thought. But after Gible's gentle snoring broke the silence, the spell was broken. After briefly glancing at the sleeping dragon, Bulbasaur returned his gaze to the fire pit.

"I dunno what I'm gonna do. I can't go back to sleep- I _know_ what'll happen," he whimpered.

Chikorita remembered when she first found Bulbasaur, alone and afraid. She also remembered what she did to help him. "I might know a way to alleviate your nightmares," she said. " Are you willing to try?"

His eyes were filled with life again. He jumped up and stood at attention. "Yes, yes, absolutely! What do I do?"

She led him to his old resting place next to the bags. "You just sleep. I'll take care of the rest."

He lay down right away and wrapped himself in the blanket. "I'll try," he said. "But what're _you_ gonna do?"

"Aromatherapy. Basically, it changes the air around us and makes it smell nice. I dunno why, but it seems to work miracles."

To demonstrate, she caused the leaf on her head began to glow softly, releasing a pleasant aroma. Bulbasaur smiled and closed his eyes.

"Thanks," he said. "I hope you're right."

She lay down a short distance away. "Me too," she whispered, wrapping herself in a blanket. After turning herself to better watch him, she waited until he closed his eyes before closing her own.

With sweet smells surrounding them and unpleasant thoughts drifting from their minds, it wasn't long before sleep finally took them. Chikorita's aromatherapy continued after she was asleep, lasting throughout the night.

* * *

Gible awoke, feeling refreshed from the long night's sleep. He sat up and, after filling up the burrow as best he could, brushed himself off. As an explorer, he knew the importance of leaving his campsite in pristine condition before leaving it, no matter its location, not only for nature's sake but his own. If he ever wished to return someplace, he'd rather the residents, both Pokémon or otherwise, greet him with open arms. He was a part of nature, not its looter, and as such treated the whole world as his home.

He checked on the other explorers. They were still sleeping, likely tired from the walk and storm yesterday. The sun had only just come up, so he decided to let them sleep. The journey was for their sake anyway. He didn't mind the morning solitude- if anything, he quite enjoyed it. With the extra free time on his hands, he took the opportunity to scout the immediate area and exercise a little.

He walked outside and began to collect some fallen tree limbs for the next fire. He wouldn't need many- he only needed a quick fire for breakfast. Although the storm had knocked down many more branches for him to use, he had difficulty finding dry branches and sticks. He was, however, able to find several large branches that weren't soaked completely through. He could shave away the outside and use the dry inside, saving the moist shavings for mulch.

When he had a sufficient pile, he set to work on whittling away at the branches. Although he brought along a knife for him to use for such occasions, he didn't mind using his teeth every now and then. He rather enjoyed biting his way through the wet wood, despite its taste.

Taking out one of his many bota bags, he set to work chewing up the branches and spitting the wads into the bag. He would make sure to wash out the canteen for its usual water-carrying purposes later.

After what seemed like an hour or two, he had enough wood to start the fire. Taking out the old fire-tools they'd crafted last night, he set to work spinning the stick between his hands.

When he saw black embers, he dumped them into an old bird's nest and, after he was sure they weren't being smothered, began to wave it about. After only seconds in his hands, the tinder was set aflame.

Before his fingers could be burned, he transferred the smoking ball to the fire pit, and watched the flames rise from seemingly nothing.

Carefully traversing past the sleeping Pokémon, he dug through Bulbasaur's bag and pulled out a frying pan. Taking this and the collection of berries, he began to roast and fry the berries using sticks and heated rocks respectively.

When he was finished, he looked at his work proudly. Setting out three plates, he divided up the feast and smiled. To some, the collection of food might appear plain at best, but to explorers, especially hungry ones, even the greatest of kings would be undeserving of such honor.

He looked back at Chikorita and Bulbasaur. The two of them were sleeping quite close to one another with only a few arm lengths separating them. Gible knew Chikorita's parents would not approve of any funny business and made a mental note to keep them from doing anything they might regret later.

He shook them awake, noting the smell both carried. "Time to get up, kiddos. It's breakfast time!"

The promise of food made them jump to attention. "Food?" Chikorita asked, her body upright and straight as a board.

"Let's go!" Bulbasaur exclaimed. "I'm hungry!"

The three of them gathered around the warm fire, smiling and laughing as they shed the weariness of the previous day and night behind them. Comrades once again, they found comfort in the warm food and pleasant company.

* * *

After Gible had eaten his fill, he got up, carrying his plate with him. Taking the ceramic plate to a deep puddle outside, he washed the dish as best he could. Then he set the plate by the fire to dry and checked the bags one last time before getting ready to leave.

He frowned. "Hey, do you guys know what happened to the third lamp? I know I packed three of them, but I only see two. Normally I wouldn't worry, but glass lamps aren't easy to come by..."

Bulbasaur looked up from his food and smiled. "You always lose something important on an adventure," he recited.

"Just be careful or you'll find yourself losing more than you can afford to," Chikorita echoed, giggling at Gible's eye roll.

"Whatever, they were a gift anyway," the dragon muttered, looking through the bags again.

Chikorita gave a satisfied sigh and leaned back. "That was good, Gible. I didn't even know fried berries were a thing."

"I can take your plate," Bulbasaur offered, picking up his own.

"Thanks," she said, giving it to him.

"I don't think fried berries are a real food," Gible explained. "I just thought I'd try it out. It mostly ended up being a gooey mess though."

"And a sticky one," Chikorita added, licking her lips. "I think my face is purple now."

"We'll cross a stream today, if I remember correctly. You can wash there."

"I will. So where are we heading, anyway? Do you have a specific plan?"

Gible slowly rubbed his hands together. "Yup. I wanna show you guys the Edge of the World."

"Outside the forest is basically the edge of the world to me," Chikorita laughed. "How long until we get there?"

"A couple more days, depending on the weather. You gotta see it when it's sunny out, trust me."

"Have you ever been farther than the Edge of the World?" she asked, her tone hinting she wasn't being completely serious.

"It's not really the edge of the world, but it certainly looks like it. You'll see when we get there."

Bulbasaur came back, carrying the plates. He placed them next to the previous one. "What's this about the edge of the world? I thought the world was ball-shaped... or am I wrong?"

Chikorita gave him a playful shove. "Of course, silly. The world casts a round shadow on the moon, doesn't it?"

"O-of course. I knew that. I just didn't know if you guys did," he said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Gible looked over at Bulbasaur. "Chikorita and me were just talkin' about washing in a nearby stream along the way. You should probably join us. It looks like you've got plenty of berry juice on your face and leg there."

Bulbasaur knew his face was probably a mess, but didn't know he'd spilt on his leg. He looked down. That's when he saw the crimson mark. Although small and hardly noticeable, there was a tiny splotch of blood on his leg- blood that wasn't his own.

"Yeah," Bulbasaur said, swallowing. "I think I should wash off too."


	10. Chapter 10: Empty Paradise

Chikorita looked at the steep incline ahead, wondering how she'd ever be able to climb it.

Gible was surprisingly nimble for such a chubby-looking Pokémon, and was able to use his strong fingers and arms to hoist himself up. Bulbasaur was able to shoot out a couple of vines and wrap himself around the base of a tree. Chikorita, however, was at a complete loss.

"Try gettin' a runnin' start!" Gible shouted from atop the hill.

Bulbasaur lowered a vine for her to grab onto, but remembered she had no hands to do so with. Before anyone could notice, he retracted his vines and shouted his encouragement instead.

Chikorita backpedaled away from the imposing structure, squinting as she looked up. It seemed possible- to a good runner. The truth was, she wasn't one. But because she didn't want to be a burden to her teammates, she psyched herself up for the challenge anyway.

She ran headlong at the hill, feeling the incline slow her movements to a crawl as the last of her momentum died. But with the end in sight, she didn't give up. Gible and Bulbasaur cheered her on as she gave a desperate jump toward them, falling just short. Bulbasaur extended his front leg for her, offering the last foothold she needed. With a nod of thanks, she heaved herself up and brushed herself off.

"Easy peasy," she said with a grin.

They were on a small, plateau-like hill with sparse trees surrounding them. There was evidence that the hill was once surrounded by water, but its source had dried, or somehow, been redirected, leaving the island as a strange monument to nature's fickle habits.

Gible waved them over to a circle of logs. In the center of them was a shallow pit surrounded by a collection of rocks, indicating the pit was once used for fire-making. It looked like a moderate campsite, but without the usual tents or hammocks scattered about.

"What is this place?" Bulbasaur asked. "Is this an old campsite of yours?"

"Sort of," Gible answered, sitting down on one of the logs. He set down his bags, making the other two more comfortable doing the same thing. "See," he began. "It wasn't supposed to be just a campsite. It was supposed to be a home."

"You lived here?" Chikorita asked. She couldn't help but notice how empty the place looked, and how limited the essential resources were.

"For a while," he explained. "My old partner and I lived here years ago. We didn't have much, but we were always working on this place to make it better."

He pointed to an empty lot. "We slept in a tent, promising each other we'd someday build a house- a house for explorers like us. In those days, we really believed we could create a paradise from the ground up."

Bulbasaur then noticed a bottle half-buried next to a tree- a sign Pokémon had indeed made residence there. He also noticed a length of rope by the same tree, tied loosely to a root. Even stranger, several of the nearby trunks were misshapen and black in spots, as though they had suffered some sort of trauma. Bulbasaur began to look around for other strange things, piecing together the puzzle of their guide's previous life.

"So who was your partner?" Chikorita asked. "I don't remember you talking about them."

"His name was Larvitar and he was my best friend," he answered. "We formed an explorer team before settling here."

"What's so special about this place?"

Gible looked around him. "It was just so... perfect. There used to be a lot of food around here, thanks to the nearby apple trees, and the air is was peaceful, it almost felt a shame to talk sometimes."

He smiled. "Plus, we liked the idea of living on an island in the middle of an invisible sea. Larvitar used to call this place Clear Waters as a joke. He often said if you stop and listen, you can hear the waves calling out to you."

Chikorita held her breath and remained silent, listening intently. The only sounds she could hear were Bulbasaur's footsteps. He seemed to be digging though the dirt and messing around.

"So what happened?" she asked.

"Reality. We both went our separate ways and never saw each other again."

Bulbasaur pushed aside a flat rock, uncovering a burnt piece of paper with pawprint writing all over it. He was amazed that, after years of being sandwiched between the rocks, the writing hadn't completely washed away. The seal between the two stones must have been practically airtight.

Chikorita raised her eyebrows. "That's unfortunate. Did you guys get into a fight or something? Do you know where Larvitar went?

"No, we hardly ever fought," Gible said, dismissing the idea with his hand. "But I know where he is. I could show you if you want."

"O-okay. You coming, Bulbasaur?"

Bulbasaur looked up from examining the rock. He looked startled at being reintroduced into the conversation. "Yeah, I'm coming," he said, giving the paper a parting glance. He ran after them, frowning at an unpleasant thought.

* * *

The three Pokémon stood before a pile of rocks, their hearts weakened by the place's significance.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Chikorita said, her eyes downcast.

Gible nodded slowly. "It's all right. It's been several years now. I wouldn't have brought you here if I weren't willing to share this with you."

"What happened?" she asked.

"Dehydration. Not to be graphic, but he was having trouble keeping in liquids."

He moved a few of the rocks to more suitable positions, trying to occupy himself.

"We were both inexperienced and had no idea what to do. I looked for a doctor in the area, but... but the place was so remote..."

He made a fist. "I found him in his bed, cold and unmoving, neglected... abandoned by his best friend."

He looked back at the pile of rocks, regarding them bitterly.

"I cursed myself for leaving him in his time of need. He spent his last days alone. I should have been there. I shouldn't have left his side. But it was too late."

He balanced himself against the grave. "I buried him here, in his own paradise. I even planted an apple tree in the same spot. I wanted him to always be a part of nature, y'know?"

"You did a good job by yourself," Bulbasaur said, unsure how to comfort him.

"I've always been good at digging," he said without his usual level of energy.

He pulled up some of the grass. "I tried to find his family, but after a few months, I gave up. By then, the apple tree I buried with him had died, along with dreams of building a paradise."

He sighed. "Your parents are wonderful Pokémon, Chikorita. They accepted me when I was a real mess. If they hadn't done that, I don't know where I'd be right now."

Chikorita nodded. "I know. I miss them already."

Gible stood up. "Make sure to give them a big hug when you get home," he said quietly.

* * *

The group gathered their stuff as they prepared to continue on their expedition. In the hubbub, Bulbasaur was able to discretely slip the buried piece of paper he'd found into his pack.

"You guys ready?" Gible asked, already carrying his bags.

"Yeah, hold on," Bulbasaur said, stretching before before putting on his own.

Chikorita kicked a rock excitedly. "Ready!" she said, following after Gible like a little duckling.

The two began their swift descent and moved out of sight. This gave Bulbasaur a moment to think.

Bulbasaur set the bags down again and took out the piece of paper. He eyed it as an artist would a failed project. He was dying to know what secrets it held, what meaning those pawprint letters had, but knew he was treading on sacred ground. He had little to gain from such forbidden knowledge, but a lot to lose. Gible, along with all of the other explorers he'd met, trusted him, despite himself. The least he could do was respect their privacy.

With a huff, he tore the paper to bits and buried the pieces in a hastily-dug shallow hole. Then he picked up his bags and left. What Gible chose not to tell, Bulbasaur was fine with keeping secret. There were some things better left buried.


	11. Chapter 11: Division

Gible swiped at the bush blocking his path as he led the travelers through the moist grass. Even after a scorching afternoon, the night's rain hadn't completely dried up yet, especially in the shaded areas beneath large trees and outcrops. As a guide, Gible took extra care in avoiding natural stumbling blocks for his followers' sake. Normally a brazen trailblazer on his own, he made a conscious effort to take the easier but longer paths whenever possible. As a result, what could have taken him a few hours to traverse took him little more than half a day.

He checked back on Chikorita and Bulbasaur, who were staggering through the empty plain, carrying defeated looks on their faces as the early summer heat began to wear on them. Seeing them in such a terrible state, he had to wonder if they were really cut out for exploring.

"Wassa matter?!" Gible called out. "I thought grass Pokémon liked a bit of sun!"

"Not this much!" came the exhausted reply. Their guide simply rolled his eyes and continued.

The two would walk side-by-side most of the time, but when the path narrowed, Chikorita would almost always go ahead. She was constantly looking back though, and would check on him frequently as he awkwardly tried to follow in her nimbler steps. More often than not, she would have to encourage him to take a slower, but easier path. And every time she did, Gible would turn around and, with a hint of a disappointment in his posture, wait for him to catch up.

Gible wouldn't have minded a more leisurely stroll through the woods under different circumstances. If anything, he might have preferred it. But because Chikorita devoted most of her focus to the new arrival, Gible felt more like a tour guide than a mentor.

On top of that, if he were perfectly honest, he didn't entirely trust Chikorita's new friend either. The way Bulbasaur avoided questions about his origins or family, acting as if he'd lost all memory of such things, but somehow remembered everything else was suspicious. Even though Gible could care less where he was from, the way Bulbasaur danced around the inquiries was unsettling.

His appalling ignorance of the region's vegetation and environment was another cause for concern. If he were an explorer, he'd at least know how to set up camp and start fires; and if he were a resident, he'd at least know of the neverburn tree. Even little Pokémon were familiar with the tree, along with the constellations and the cycles of the moon.

Chikorita laughed at something Bulbasaur said. With shared grins, the two of them gained a short burst of speed, allowing them to nearly catch up to their guide.

Gible kept walking, his eyes stuck between the horizon and the ground beneath his feet. He had a lot to think about, and as fate would have it, a lot of time to think. With an open world before him, all he had to do was walk forward and trust the younger ones would follow.

They'd crossed the official boundary between the forest and the plains less than an hour ago, but Chikorita hardly seemed to notice. Gible had imagined the transition between biomes would be a much-celebrated one- an emotional moment as Chikorita graduated from a forest dweller to an explorer. Instead, she walked irreverently out of the forest without so much as a single pause to ponder her growth as a Pokémon.

Gible sighed. If he hadn't already told the grass Pokémon his plans to take them to the Edge of the World, he would have led them elsewhere. The place was dear to him, but neither of the younger Pokémon could possibly understand why. They were probably interested in someplace with bright flowers or tasty berry bushes, not the places of ancient histories.

The dragon stopped and waited for the stragglers to catch up. As if remembering who they were following, they ran up to him. Chikorita offered him a look of confusion.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Nah, I just don't want to wear you guys out is all. If you want to, we can camp up there at the top of that hill."

Bulbasaur looked at the hill Gible was referring to before checking the sky. The sun hadn't begun setting, but it looked as though it was planning to. If the night previous was any indication, setting up camp could take hours, or more if they ran into trouble. By his guess, they'd be finished just before sunset.

"I _am_ kinda tired," Chikorita admitted. "It feels like we've been walking all day."

She sat down and pulled out a canteen from her bag and began swigging the water enthusiastically, prompting Bulbasaur to reach into his bag and do the same. Gible stood by and waited for a clear response.

"Gah!" Chikorita exclaimed, suddenly remembering to breath between mouthfuls of water. She wiped her face with the side of her leg. "What do you think?" Chikorita blurted unexpectedly, looking to Bulbasaur for a simple answer.

"I don't- don't really mind what we do. I'm sure you know what you're doing, Gible," he said, shifting the focus elsewhere. "But if it means less walking, I'm down for that."

Gible smiled. "Alright then. Let's call it a day. We don't want to push ourselves too hard."

Knowing the other two would follow, he began walking again.

* * *

Bulbasaur set up the branches as he remembered Gible doing. He might have taken a little longer in making the shape, but he was quite proud of his work when he stepped back and saw what he'd created. He even put a circle of rocks around the fire, just in case it should get the idea of spreading. Satisfied, he sat by Chikorita near a tree stump as she measured little bags of fresh herbs and packed them away in the first aid kit.

"Is this medicine?" he asked, smelling the bag. He was disappointed to find the bag smelled like leaves.

"Not yet. Be careful what you inhale though- some plants can irritate the lungs."

He gingerly put the bag back. "So whatcha doin' then?"

"Drying out some leaves so I can grind them up later. I didn't want to directly expose them to the sun, so I figure now's a good time."

She handed him a small armful of leaves. "Take these. Rub yourself with them if you want to repel the blood-suckers."

Bulbasaur regarded the leaves suspiciously, which did not go unnoticed.

"Don't worry, they're just Beautyberry leaves- they're perfectly harmless. They just keep the mosquitoes away, is all."

Her explanation was enough. He made sincere, albeit strange attempt to rub the leaves on himself, but four clumsy claws and less-than-dextrous vines made for poor tools. Chikorita smiled as he desperately tried to reach atop his own bulb.

"Relax; you don't have to coat yourself for the effect to work. Besides, most of the biters and suckers don't go for us grass types anyway. We're quite lucky that way, actually."

The two of them heard Gible swearing as he set up the tent. He seemed to have difficulty keeping the ropes in place long enough to tie the knot, so Chikorita and Bulbasaur came over to help him.

"You two done making daisy chains over there?" Gible asked, grunting as he lost grip on the rope again, causing part of the tent to fall. He muttered something under his breath.

Chikorita grabbed the rope and used her weight to pull it down in its original position. "We were using some natural insect repellent. There's plenty for you too, if you want. Ya gotta use 'em fresh to get the full effect though."

"No thank you," he said with a huff as he tied the rope to the half-buried stake. "I already packed everything I need for the trip."

Bulbasaur and Chikorita both grabbed the other two ropes, apologizing as they accidentally bumped into one another. After Gible tied the ropes they were holding, they stepped back and gave him room, as it looked like he needed it. Sitting by the tree stump again, they continued in their idle banter.

The leaf Pokémon looked over at her partner, who sat by, watching her work. "So...," she began, "Do you remember anything yet?"

The question initially came as a surprise to him, but he recovered quickly. He wrinkled his face thoughtfully. "I think so. I have a lot of snippets of memories like faces and songs, but nothing substantial. I was hoping for a name, but I'm sure that'll come in time."

Seeing his pining expression, a thought concerned her. "Are those faces... human?"

Bulbasaur hesitated as his whole body tensed up. Then he looked her in the eyes and nodded. "Yeah. There's no mistaking it. I'm sure I was a human at one time."

He checked back on Gible, who was just out of earshot and busy putting the finishing touches on their temporary home.

"Hey, Chikorita? Could you not tell Gible any of this? I don't want everyone to think I'm a- a freak or something."

She put up a hoof solemnly. "No need to worry. I won't tell anyone."

He relaxed. "Thanks. I'm glad I trusted you," he said, giving her a smile. She returned it.

"I'm glad you did too. It must be hard waking up in an unfamiliar world."

She checked his face to make sure she hadn't triggered any darker emotions.

He swallowed, grimacing as he spoke. "Yeah. It's terrifying, actually."

She put her front leg on his neck, comforting him as best she could. "Well I'm here if you need me. And everyone back at the Explorer House is too. That's what explorers do, after all- they help Pokémon."

Gible cleared his throat to announce his presence. The two separated quickly.

"The tent's ready. You can put your stuff there, if you want."

Bulbasaur turned in his direction but avoided staring directly at him. "Thanks... Gible."

He ran over to the bags and grabbed them with his long vines. "I can take your stuff too, Chikorita."

"That'd be nice," she said. "There's some glass in there so be careful."

"I will!"

She turned back to her work, dividing the leaves into separate bags. Gible sat down where Bulbasaur was.

"Listen," he said, his voice indicating they were about to have a talk. He put his fingertips together. "I know you and Bulbasaur are friends and I'm sure you two care for one another..."

He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "But it's not proper for you two to be all touchy like that. It gives the wrong impression."

She stopped, her heart beating loudly in her chest. "Oh, there's nothing going on. We were just talking, is all."

He shrugged. "Not everybody knows that, y'know? So let's try not to do anything that would upset your parents, hmm?"

Standing up, he offered his last thoughts on the subject. "Bulbasaur's a nice guy, I'm sure, but he's not here to stay. He'll probably leave not too long after our journey, so try not to get too... attached to him."

He waddled back to the tent. Then, after giving her a friendly but forced smile, he stepped inside, waving to Bulbasaur as he passed by.

Chikorita spoke quietly through clenched teeth. "Well," she hissed, "just because _you_ lost your friend doesn't mean _I_ have to."


	12. Chapter 12: Bitterness and Anger

The tent was cramped but not unbearably crowded. There was enough wiggle room to toss and turn for those unable to sleep, but not enough that it was easy to maneuver. Bulbasaur and Chikorita had settled in, with their backs pressed against the supplies on opposite sides of the tent. Gible's spot was intentionally positioned between them. The dragon had stepped outside to relieve himself, giving the other two a chance to talk in private.

"Hey, Bulbasaur..." Chikorita spoke in a hushed tone, "when Gible falls asleep..."

She gestured to the tent's entrance. Bulbasaur nodded and lay on his belly, waiting for Gible to come in. He didn't have to wait long. Only a few moments later, Gible shuffled in and practically flopped down at his assigned spot, digging his way into the earth just enough to create a little trough for him to sleep in. Grabbing the blanket, he covered himself completely and gave a drowsy farewell to the grass Pokémon.

"G'night, sleep tight."

A quiet chorus of echoes assured him his words were heard. He closed his eyes and willed the day to end. Sleep took him within a matter of minutes.

As Gible's breathing became regular and his movement still, glances were exchanged between two eager Pokémon, waiting for their moment of escape. At last, Chikorita worked up the nerve to leave the tent, taking care not to accidentally trip over the lump of a Pokémon on the ground. Bulbasaur followed her, breathing softly in the darkness as he sidled through the tent's flap.

The night air was still but noisy as cicadas screeched their synchronized songs of peace. There was almost a full moon out, which made it easy to see Chikorita as she waved to him from further down the hill. Looking back at the tent one last time, he trotted over to her.

"What's up, Chikorita?"

She ran ahead, watching him over her shoulder to see if he was following. "C'mon!" she called. "Let's go exploring!"

Bulbasaur couldn't help but grin. He took off after her, laughing as he felt the rush of the brisk night air against his face. Needing no words to describe their feelings or time to ponder them, they ran headlong in the night, unafraid of whatever dangers might await them. They ran as fast as they wanted, recovered as fast as they fell, and jumped farther than they'd ever jumped before. At last, breathless and exhausted, the two sat down at the bottom of the hill.

"Where- do you think- we should go?" Bulbasaur asked, coughing as his body became desperate to recover from the run.

"I... I dunno," she admitted. "I think I saw- saw a mystery dungeon somewhere- around here though. Ya wan- wanna go there?"

"I'm down for that. Gimme a sec' first; I'm dying here."

She lay flat on her face. "Me too."

"That was fun though."

"Yeah."

She rolled over stayed that way until they were both ready to get up.

* * *

They walked between the line of trees, entering the mystery dungeon with nervous anticipation. Bulbasaur followed Chikorita's lead, staying only a few steps behind as they moved through the tight corridor. She constantly checked behind herself, making sure her partner was close as she ventured cautiously through the hall.

She stooped low and grabbed an Oran berry. She handed it to Bulbasaur. "Here. Eat this whenever you get hurt. It can heal you."

Bulbasaur used one of his vines to hold on to it, wishing he had a small bag to keep it in. He made a mental note to bring a bag into the next mystery dungeon, should such an opportunity present itself.

They moved on, watching carefully for any bad Pokémon that might try and jump them. Chikorita kept her eyes on the path ahead, noting the light in the distance.

"Hey, Bulbasaur, if we see a bad Pokémon do you think we should run or fight?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, if they're all as strong as that Ariados, we could probably beat them."

"Well I don't want to fight anyone if I don't have to," Chikorita said, stopping in place. She squinted at the light ahead, a dreadful feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

"We'll run if we can then," Bulbasaur said, glancing over his shoulder. "We can recover any damage we take with this berry, right? We could probably divide it in half or something. It's kinda small though..."

There was a roar from up ahead. It was unmistakably a Pokémon's cry- a challenging one. Something stirred within Chikorita. Whatever the cry was, it had affected her.

"Should we go back?" Bulbasaur asked. "We've only gone a few rooms in, after all. We could always find another dungeon to explore."

Chikorita back stiffened. She clenched her teeth and stared into the light with wide eyes.

"Explorers NEVER run away!" she screeched. "Let's fight!"

"Wait, what?"

She brashly ran forward and entered the brightly-lit room with her confused partner taking up the rear. As soon as they entered, the Pokémon roared again, louder. This time, Bulbasaur was the one affected by the cry. His previous hesitation lost, he charged forward, before realizing who he was attacking.

He was batted away and thrown to the ground before he knew what hit him. A quick follow-up punch to the face nearly dislocated his jaw.

A tall Pokémon grinned at him. Standing on two legs, the Zangoose was covered in horrible scars across her chest and face. A chewed-up nose, several notches on her ears, and missing claws all told more stories than the thickest book. She raised her fist and roared again, causing Chikorita to rush her just as foolishly as her partner did.

Zangoose sidestepped the clumsy attack and lunged at her with incredible speed. Having no time to recover or dodge, Chikorita was knocked into a tree, grunting as she clutched her side.

"What are you doing?!" Bulbasaur demanded, before being compelled to lunge forward again.

Zangoose readied a punch. "Taunting you!" she shouted. She swung at Bulbasaur but aimed too high, barely skimming his bulb. Bulbasaur stopped just short of the Zangoose and flailed his vines wildly, whipping her. Enduring the sting of such a violent attack, Zangoose grabbed Bulbasaur and slammed him against the ground. The force of the fall knocked the wind out of him.

Then she turned around to see Chikorita shakily getting up. She roared at the little Pokémon, causing her to attempt a slow charge. Zangoose reached for her leaf, hoping to find some leverage over her. Finding the strength for a roll, Chikorita ducked underneath her extended arm and ran between her legs, reaching where Bulbasaur was steadying himself.

She helped him up. "We have to attack her together!" she cried.

He didn't seem to hear her. He raised his vines challengingly and growled at the Zangoose, who stood several times his height. She laughed at him.

"I like you. Most explorers are too cowardly to fight fair. C'mon then, let's see what ya got."

She raised her fists in a practiced motion, a little unsure of the proper stance when facing such a small opponent. Bulbasaur wouldn't give her the chance to learn. He feinted a charge, but ran around her instead, causing her to turn her back on Chikorita.

Several vines shot out from his bulb, waving wildly in front of the Zangoose, barely out of range. Zangoose laughed and in the blink of an eye, grabbed one of the vines. Bulbasaur hardly even saw her act. Before he could do anything, she moved again.

Taking the vine with both of her hands, she pulled her arms apart, ripping the vine in half. Bulbasaur felt part of himself fall away as he recoiled. Zangoose picked up the vine.

"Look I'm a Bulbasaur," she mocked, waving the vine around. "I'm a baby flower monster."

Bulbasaur snapped. Without a battlecry or indication of his intent, he walked toward the Zangoose, every muscle in his body flexed as he glared at his enemy. She scoffed at his attempt to scare her and threw the vine at him, laughing as it bounced harmlessly off of his face.

He lunged at her leg, biting down with unexpected strength. Several vines wrapped around her, latching himself to her. Startled by such an uncharacteristic move from a grass Pokémon, she tried to shake him off by jiggling her leg. Ignoring this, he sank his teeth into her flesh and pulled his head back, ripping off her skin, fur and all. Then he bit into her again, burying his face deep into her tissue.

She bent down and repeatedly punched him in the back of the head, hoping to faze him. Stimulated by the taste of blood, Bulbasaur dug into her leg and ripped out a mouthful of her muscle.

Chikorita, seeing Zangoose beating on her partner, took the opportunity to help. Believing Bulbasaur to be in danger, she resorted to a more diabolical attack. With Zangoose distracted, she shot a small, harmless-looking seed which landed on Zangoose's neck, sinking into her jugular. After a brief delay, the seed took root and began sucking away her lifeblood.

Zangoose swatted her neck, believing the parasite to be external. Another gush of blood was drained from her as the roots burrowed into her vitals. Zangoose turned her focus to Chikorita.

"You cowards!" she roared. "If I had my claws, I'd _tear you apart_!"

Weighed down by her leg's new attachment, she crawled toward the leaf Pokémon, teeth bared and fur bristling. Suddenly the weight was lifted from her. Believing the attack to be over, she tried to stand up. She was bleeding so profusely, she began to feel lightheaded.

Then Bulbasaur jumped on her. He landed on her chest and began scratching her with his short claws. With his face coated with blood and his eyes revealing no mercy, he rammed headfirst into her chin. Zangoose's sharp teeth bit into her tongue and her head was knocked back. This sudden head movement and terrible loss of blood caused her to faint upon impact.

On the bare ground she lay, crumpled and miserable as the cicadas screeched their victory songs.

Chikorita tried to sigh, but all that came out were multiple short breaths. "It's over," she said, looking down at the pool of blood. Her gut tightened. Then she saw Bulbasaur, still under the influence of his bloodlust. He began tackling Zangoose's chest, pushing her limp form across the floor and smearing her fluids below.

Chikorita stepped between him and her. "Stop it. We've won. You don't have to fight anymore."

That's when she saw his face. It was completely unrecognizable in its fury. She was understandably horrified, but remained steadfast in her defense. She used Protect, fearing he may attack her as well.

With a hint of intelligence in his fury, he kept dodging and weaving, determined to move past her. He tried jumping over her, but she jumped as well. The shield from her Protect pushed him away.

"Stop, Bulbasaur. Please. She's knocked out, see?"

There was no response from him. He tried circling around to reach her.

Chikorita closed her eyes. The leaf on her head changed to a soft shade of pink as she focused on her aromatherapy. A sweet smell wafted through the area, extinguishing the bloody smell.

Bulbasaur paused. For a moment, it looked like nothing had happened. But then he recoiled upon seeing the fallen Zangoose, apparently awoken from his bloodlust. He looked to Chikorita, his eyes softening.

"I'm... I'm... I didn't mean..." He stepped away from the body, disgusted by their handiwork. "Is she dead?" he asked, looking back at his partner.

"No no no, see her chest moving? She'll be all right. Gimme that berry you were holding."

He felt himself over before he remembered he must have dropped it. He scanned the room and found the berry, lying on the floor as if it belonged there. He brought it to her.

"Here. Will this make her better?"

"Not completely. Oran berries can only help heal injuries- they can't prevent scars or grow new body parts. Some wounds are simply permanent."

Chikorita put the berry in her mouth and carefully chewed on the soft fruit. Then she leaned over Zangoose and spat into her mouth. Zangoose instinctively coughed and tried to spit out the berry, but Chikorita held her mouth closed. After her arms weakly waved at the air, the Zangoose eventually swallowed the mashed fruit and lay back down. Her eyes opened but didn't get up.

Chikorita stood up and brushed herself off. "It's disgusting, but necessary," she said, after seeing Bulbasaur's disturbed expression.

He pointed his face away from her and began rubbing his tongue with his claw to remove the taste from his mouth. "It's not that," he said. "I just realized I was... eating another Pokémon."

"Well whatever you did, it helped keep us alive, right?" she said, trying to remain positive. "I'm just glad you were able to stop when you did."

"Yeah, thanks again for that. I'd... be a real mess without you."

She nodded. Despite her initial fears, she quite enjoyed battling. She just wished the end result wasn't so barbaric.

"We should probably go back and wash off though," she said, looking Bulbasaur over with a degree of fascination.

"I didn't want your _stinkin'_ berry," a weak voice snarled, interrupting their conversation.

Chikorita and Bulbasaur looked at one another. "We're giving you a second chance," Chikorita explained. "Even without your claws, you're strong, Zangoose. Use your strength to help people, like explorers do."

"Explorers!" she laughed. "If it weren't for explorers I'd still have my claws!"

"There's more to life than fighting, you know," Bulbasaur pointed out. "The explorers probably removed your claws so you wouldn't hurt anyone. They have to look out for others too."

Zangoose sat up, her wounds now barely noticeable. The Oran berry had worked fast.

"Of course you'd defend fellow explorers," she spat. "You're probably just like them."

She folded her arms. "I trusted a group of explorers. Once. They beat me in a fair fight and I joined them, hoping to eventually become as strong as them."

She grabbed her leg, wincing as she felt the bite anew. "They took me to a doctor, telling me they wanted to heal my wounds. The doctor never spoke to me; he never told me what he was doing. He put a mask over my face and knocked me out."

She shakily stood up, looking down at the explorers, who took a cautionary step back. Her voice shook as her eyes stared past them.

"When I woke up, I saw what they did to me. They took my claws- the very heart of a Zangoose- without my consent. That's when I found out the truth."

Chikorita and Bulbasaur grouped together, readying themselves to fight.

Zangoose made a fist. "They weren't interested in a partner. They only wanted a pet. I was leashed and tormented, humiliated by the explorers and their friends. They did such horrible things to me, unspeakable things."

She slammed her fist against a tree. "And then I'm lectured on how I should live my life by sniveling brats like you- brats that know nothing of the real world. It really _pisses me off_."

The cicadas lost their synchronization. What sounded like music devolved into the drone of incoherent screams.

Three Pokémon stood opposed, watching the others' expressions, separated by more than the space between them.

"Those Pokémon were evil," Chikorita croaked, her voice strained as she struggled to speak.

"Is that why you taunted us?" Bulbasaur asked.

Zangoose shook her head scornfully. "You just don't get it, do you? You sneak around my home and wonder why I wanna fight you face-to-face?!"

She dug her knuckles into her hand and stepped forward, wincing as a wave of pain reminded her she hadn't completely healed.

" _Everyone_ wants to take advantage of me. At least when I fight in the open, I can blame myself for losing. I can accept a hard-fought loss, but I'll not be taken in by another Pokémon, least of all some worthless, weak-hearted explorers!"

She dropped to her knees, catching herself with a trembling arm. "Go ahead. Raid my home. Take its treasures. It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Her arm gave way and she fell face-first in the bloodied grass. "But you won't take my resolve. When I can move again, I'm taking you down, claws or not. You better be gone when that happens. Because then, I won't play fair any more."

With nothing more to say, her squinted eyes followed the two explorers as they paced back and forth, unsure what to do. Several long seconds passed before Chikorita thought of an idea. Closing her eyes, she began her aromatherapy, lulling the weakened warrior to sleep. When both Pokémon were certain their old enemy was in a more pleasant time and place, they scurried away, taking nothing with them as they went to a nearby stream to wash away the smell of their bitter victory.


	13. Chapter 13: Resolution

Gible woke at daybreak, stretching and yawning as he normally did. Almost immediately he noticed the whole tent was washed with sickly sweet smell- the same smell Bulbasaur and Chikorita carried the previous morning. He could only hope the two weren't up to mischief while he was asleep, but he wouldn't count on it.

He regarded them as he waddled out of the tent. Both looked exhausted still, so he decided let them sleep, so long as there weren't any pressing needs.

He walked down the hill and did a few laps around it, stopping every now and then to strengthen his arms with a motion resembling a pushup. After working up a sweat, he returned to begin the breakfast-making process. Tiptoeing into the tent with cat-like movements, he rummaged through the bags until he found the things he needed. Then he set to work on preparing a berry salad.

The berries would be the first to go bad, so he decided to use as many as possible. Already they were beginning to be a little squishy, but were still edible and quite delicious. He couldn't help but pop a few in his mouth to get a taste of what he was preparing, not that he needed a reminder of what berries tasted like.

Taking out three bowls, he distributed the remaining berries in each. Then, grabbing a few bags of tiny leaves, dumped them on top of the berries and mixed them up with his hands. Then he ducked inside the tent to wake the sleeping Pokémon.

"No you don't!" he cried, rushing over to them.

Chikorita had Bulbasaur nearly cornered against the flimsy walls of the tent, whispering something in his ear, which prompted a fit of laughter from both. Gible's arrival interrupted them.

"Do you mind?" He spoke with his arms crossed. Chikorita stepped back.

He looked over the two of them, who watched his reaction carefully. Gible cleared his throat. "I can see you two are awake. Head on outside and get some breakfast."

Gible gave a disapproving shake of his head as Chikorita passed by. She understood quite well. From the way she postured herself, it looked as though she were avoiding him.

But when she left, it was her attitude changed completely.

"What have you done?!" she shouted. Gible left the tent to investigate.

"What?" he asked, confused by her outburst.

"Is this our _breakfast_?" she demanded spilling the bowl's contents.

Gible's face reddened. "Is that not good enough for you, Chikorita?" He grabbed the bowl from the ground. "You don't have to eat then." Gible's face curled into a snarl.

Chikorita pressed her lips together. "This is dangerous!" she exclaimed, her voice nearly cracking. "This stuff is medicine!"

She bent over and grabbed one of the leaves and held it up. "These were in my medicine bags, completely separate from the food. Didn't you find it suspicious that I tied the bags to the first aid kit?"

Gible gasped. "I- I didn't know. You should have told me."

She sighed. "Well thankfully a few pansy leaves wouldn't have killed us. But if it were any other plant..."

She began to gather the berries and leaves she'd dropped, putting them in a bowl and medicine bag respectively.

Gible grabbed the bowls and picked out the leaves, handing them to Chikorita.

The dragon gave his own sigh. "Just make sure to tell me when you're doing your herb stuff next time. And if anything's tied to the first aid kit, I won't take from it, alright?"

"Fair enough," she said. "Sorry for yelling. I just thought you were being careless."

The two met eye-to-eye, each acknowledging the other. Then they began putting the pansy leaves back in their bags while Bulbasaur went and got some apples for them to eat. He came back with a smile on his face.

"Hey, cheer up guys. Nothing bad happened. We're all okay."

The smile was uplifting.

"You're right, Bulbasaur," Chikorita said as she grabbed an apple from him. She sat at her spot and began nibbling away at the skin. Gible followed her example and chomped down on his fruit, savoring the sound it made. Pretty soon the whole episode was far behind them.

"You know," Bulbasaur remarked, examining the core of his fruit for any more juicy bits, "our bags are getting lighter every time we eat, right? So how much would we have to carry if we were traveling for say, a few months?"

"You couldn't possibly pack that much food," Gible answered. "You'd have to bring some money and stock up on food between villages. That, or you'd have to work for it."

"Bleh." Bulbasaur lay down, slightly sleepy from the food and summer heat.

"Bleh is right," Chikorita agreed, imitating his behavior. "All the villages are too far away. You'd have to loot a mystery dungeon or two just to survive."

"You should never go in a mystery dungeon," Gible said in a compulsory manner. His instant, almost programmed response earned him some startled looks from the grass Pokémon.

Chikorita lowered her apple and squinted at him. "Isn't that what explorers do though? Explore the unexplored? Uncover the mysteries of the past and present? You said it yourself once-"

"No," he said sternly. He flung his apple core behind him. "Not while I'm in charge, you won't. You're not even explorers yet."

Bulbasaur's ears perked up. "Oh, how do you become an explorer then?"

"You have to join an official explorer team is how. Hold on a moment."

He ran into the tent, frantically searching for his visual aids. After having no luck in looking through the other bags, he checked his own. At last, tangled in the length of rope, he found them.

"Here, look at this!" he called as he appeared again. There were shiny things in his hands.

Bulbasaur and Chikorita swarmed him. "Whatisit? Whatisit?" they asked, pressing in close.

He pushed past them and placed the objects on the tree stump, their brilliance finally realized in the bright sunlight. They were two egg-shaped medals with white wings, both brightly colored and pleasing to the eye. Both had a pink spot marking their center and a pin on the back of them, making it possible to wear on articles of clothing.

Gible beamed proudly. "See? Those are _official_ explorer badges. They tell everyone I'm an _official_ explorer, recognized by the Exploration Team Federation. And see the pink buttons on them? Those let me teleport out of mystery dungeons if I need to."

"They certainly look _official_ ," Bulbasaur noted, poking fun of Gible's speech. "So why are there two badges though?"

Gible grabbed one of the badges. "One of them belonged to Larvitar. And if I ever find another partner, they'll carry it next."

"So anyone can become an explorer if they have one of those?" Bulbasaur asked. "Anyone at all?"

"I guess. There's no rule about giving the badge to anyone else, I suppose. But it's not hard to become an explorer team anyway. All you have to do is mail a request and the Exploration Team Federation will give you a badge for free."

"That simple?" Bulbasaur asked, his face quite transparent.

"It used to be," Chikorita said. "But lately the Pelliper have stopped flying around here. The mail carriers are probably understaffed or something."

"I didn't know that," Gible said, hand over his mouth. "Well I guess my badges are even more precious now," he said with a smile.

He grabbed the badges and ran back to the tent. Then he ran back, stuffed the rest of the berries in his mouth and said, "So... you guys ready to head out?"

They nodded. "Absolutely," Chikorita said. "Let's do some exploring!"

* * *

The surgeon, an Electivire of few years, pressed himself against the wall, wringing the exposed wires on his back with shaky hands. He sank down, sick to his stomach.

"I can't keep doing this," he said at last. He stared down at his reflection in the marble floor, noticing the emptiness in his eyes for the first time. Deep craters etched on his face told tales of his long, sleepless nights wracked with the weight of multiple sins. His fur was disheveled and missing in some places- one of the many physical effects of his stressful job. He missed seeing the bright, healthy face in his reflection. But that happy, hopeful Pokémon was long dead. Now all he had was his job, and it was tearing him apart.

"Why, Electivire! What are you doing here?"

The doctor knew the voice all too well; it haunted his dreams and waking hours. Not a minute went by when he couldn't hear it ringing in his head, invading his thoughts. He looked up at his tormentor, but couldn't bear to lock eyes with the monster.

"I was coming to get you," he lied.

Jirachi looked down at the bedraggled Pokémon with a mixture of disgust and pity. With a flourish, the wish Pokémon descended, meeting Electivire at eye level, forcing him to stare into the void of Jirachi's soul. The fear in his eyes was palpable as his dilated pupils searched desperately around the room for anything to comfort him from the emptiness before him.

"You have good news for me?" it asked, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Yes, yes, yes. Only good news," he spoke with forced friendliness. "I did everything you said."

"Altaria. Is he fixed?"

Electivire's hands unintentionally spasmed, forming involuntarily claws as he flinched. His whole body was pulled taut as he struggled to speak.

"Yes, everything you want. No problems. Everything was perfect."

He clenched his teeth angrily.

He remembered Altaria's blank stare- those same empty eyes Jirachi carried. Just like that, he had stolen another Pokémon's life- stolen all hope for the future and all joy for the present. Electivire wondered if, beneath the fog of such heavy medication, Altaria knew what happened to him.

"Good boy." Jirachi patted him on the head and entered the room where the patient was resting. Electivire followed behind, grabbing his stomach anxiously.

"Oh dear, Electivire. Did you do this?"

Jirachi was pointing to Altaria. The cotton dragon took no notice of them in his medicated state and was muttering incomprehensibly. There were bandages tightly wrapped around his head and wings, restricting his movement.

"It's just what you wanted. See?"

"Tisk tisk," Jirachi said, waggling its hand. "Look what you've done. You've gone and made my friend all crippled. What good is a retarded friend?"

"No- but you said-" Electivire's heart was racing so fast, sparks were coming from the wires on his back.

"When the other Pokémon find out you've done this, they'll surely be angry. They'll do such _terrible_ things to you."

Electivire was brought to his knees, clawing at his scalp. His fear was quickly changing to anger. "I- I did everything right. I did _everything_ you told me to."

Jirachi scratched the doctor's neck, as one would a friendly dog. Then with a savage pull, yanked a handful of hair from his cheek.

"Pity," Jirachi said, throwing the hair in Electivire's face. Then it spun around, allowing the streamers on its back to slap him across the cheek. With saying another word, it sat down next to Altaria and cuddled the catatonic patient.

Electivire swatted away the floating hair and stormed off, his cheek stinging from the insult. As soon as he was out of Jirachi's sight, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. His near encounter with death was enough reminder to never become comfortable, no matter how far he went or how safe he felt. Even the shelter of the distant woods could not protect him, or anyone else.

Not as long as Jirachi still lived.


	14. Chapter 14: The Distance

Gible checked behind himself, making sure neither of his followers had lost sight of him. After seeing the two weary travelers bringing up the rear, their heads hung low but spirits steadfast, he knew they were getting along well enough. The glass in his bag clinked as he turned back around and continued up the hill, practically climbing instead of hiking. Memories of the place urged him to smile, despite the fatigue gradually creeping up on him. He wondered what kept the other two going, having no nostalgia for the area and little previous interest in such tedious hiking trips.

He allowed himself a chance to stretch. He wasn't as fit as he used to be. He couldn't blame it all on his age though- living an easy life in the Explorer House had turned him soft. With frequent bouts of depression and the occasional sickness slowing him down, he found the younger, more vibrant explorers like Absol and Gallade out-competing him, which was disheartening to say the least. To some, seeing the next generation of explorers shining so brightly was a testament to the future. But to Gible, it was a constant reminder that whatever future the next generation brought, he would not be a part of it. He had his chance. Whatever dreams he had would be subverted by progress.

He put his foot forward, willing himself to keep walking. He wasn't done yet. Even if the goal wasn't in sight, and even if no one else could understand his feelings, he could still show the way forward. He still had something to show the next generation. They hadn't reached the Edge of the World yet, which meant there was still much to explore.

He looked ahead. The journey would be uphill from now on. Even so, he knew Chikorita and Bulbasaur would follow. They may not admire him, but they trusted him to lead, and that was enough.

* * *

Bulbasaur sat down. "Hold up! Water break!"

Gible heard his announcement and turned around. "We're almost there!"

Bulbasaur undid the cork on the canteen with some difficulty. "Just a quick one!" he shouted, sucking down a gulp of the warm liquid. It wasn't as refreshing as a cool glass of water, but it would do.

Chikorita took the opportunity to do the same. Wiping some sweat from her brow, she took note of how far they'd come. Far in the distance, she could see the forest's dark green canopy, stretching far past her line of sight. It made her wonder what the place looked like in the fall, when trees wore their flamboyant dresses. Then she remembered she already knew.

"Home looks totally different from far away," Chikorita noted.

"If you say so," Bulbasaur said between gulps.

Chikorita fluffed a dog violet as she thought of the other explorers. She imagined her parents were sitting at the table, talking about boring stuff as an excuse to spend time together. Meanwhile, Axew and Shuppet were probably stuffing themselves on the fallen apples in their orchard, making mischief as they were often inclined to. If her timing was right, Absol and Gallade had already left for Forlorn Tower and would be back in a few weeks. They rarely brought treasures home, but they always had new information to share, which helped future explorers brave enough to follow in their footsteps.

Bulbasaur noticed her apparent fascination with the dog violet. He pressed his face into a clump of them and, using his lips, he pulled one out and set it beside her. "This one is better," he said, startling her. "See? This one is more symmetrical."

Chikorita regarded it sadly. "Oh, thanks Bulbasaur. You didn't have to do that though. Flowers are more beautiful when they're alive."

"Oh," he said, not hiding his disappointment. He walked back and sat down. Chikorita's reaction confused him. To him, flowers were mostly decoration for the landscape; their lives were so fragile and short-lasting they were hardly a consideration.

He drank a few more sips before plugging up his canteen and setting it away. Then he looked to see if Chikorita was ready to go as well.

The leaf Pokémon was fiddling with her bag, likely putting her canteen away. Bulbasaur stood up and followed after Gible, who had already begun climbing again.

"Wait for me!" Chikorita called, hurrying to keep up with the group. Bulbasaur noticed her bag had the violet tied to it like a keychain. He slowed down.

"I thought you said living flowers were better," Bulbasaur noted.

"No sense letting a life go to waste," she said, patting her bag. "Besides, you can never have too many flowers around."

"Or too much beauty," Bulbasaur added, watching Chikorita offer a friendly smile.

* * *

"This is it- The Edge of the World," Gible whispered.

High atop the cliff, the atmosphere was solemn; the wind was the loudest member of their group. Stretching far beneath them, thick, storm clouds veiled the landscape, gurgling like a cauldron of boiling tar. Blinding flashes of light arced between the furious titans as they rained their judgment on the world beneath, shaking the travelers' perch with angry roars.

"That doesn't look like a very nice place," Chikorita said quietly. "Have you ever been down there, Gible?"

Gible cautiously moved near the edge and looked down. "No. I don't know how anyone could. Climbing through those electrically-charged clouds would be suicide."

"Well someone must have. Look."

Bulbasaur pointed to a strange, shiny object in the distance. It looked like a metal pole piercing the clouds, defying the darkness around it.

"That looks like a lightening rod or something, doesn't it?"

Because the object was only barely poking through the clouds, it was difficult to discern with any certainty. From what they could tell though, it did look like the tip of tower. It seemed impossible, but its persistent existence was undeniable. Any Pokémon crazy enough to build a tower higher than the clouds almost deserved to have its work destroyed by the storm around it, especially if the tower were as thin as the visible pole.

"There has to be a safe way down," Gible said at last. "Maybe some other explorers will find it someday. I guess it's something to look forward to, eh?"

Gible saw the way Bulbasaur watched the tower intently. He didn't like it.

"You know there's a lot of history surrounding this place," Gible said, trying to keep them occupied on other matters. "Legend has it the storm clouds are the fallout of Arceus' judgment. Apparently there used to be a city down there that made him mad."

"What was the city called?" Bulbasaur asked, still focused on the metal pole.

"I dunno," Gible admitted. "The legend is probably allegorical anyway. There are a lot of stories like that in the downstairs library. If you want, I could show you my favorites-"

"That's where all the books on herbalism are!" Chikorita interjected.

"And more scientific subjects like astronomy and chemistry," Gible added as a dig at her practice.

"Cool," Bulbasaur said, trying very hard to look interested. He stepped away from the cliff to join the others. "Maybe I might read a book or two if they aren't too difficult."

"Most aren't. In fact, there's quite a few picture books there too. I remember seeing a really well-illustrated one about an explorer and a bad Pokémon that fell in love."

"How'd it turn out?"

Gible scratched the side of his head. "Not well, obviously. I think the kid turned out to be pure evil, or something like that. You'd have to look for yourself."

Chikorita gave a cheeky grin. "Hey, fun fact. Did you know most book paper made out of neverburn trees? So if you ever need to start a fire, you could always-"

"Har har," Bulbasaur interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Maybe next time we'll burn your herbs instead. It's probably better than eating them. Amiright Gible?"

Gible shook his head. "You guys'll be the death of me, I swear."

Bulbasaur and Chikorita laughed. Gible cracked a smile.

"So you guys tired then? 'Cuz if it's all the same to you two, I'd rather not set up camp in such a precarious place."

Bulbasaur and Chikorita looked at each other for confirmation. They nodded.

"Lead the way!" Chikorita said, raising her front leg dramatically.


	15. Chapter 15: Loss and Sacrifice

Bulbasaur arranged the logs as he did before and immediately sought Gible's fire-making tools, much to the dragon's surprise.

"Starting fires isn't as easy as it looks," Gible said, his arms folded, resistant to the offer.

"Lemme try," the seed Pokémon begged. "I can't learn until I've practiced something."

"I know you can do it," Chikorita announced encouragingly, partially addressing her statement to Gible.

Gible gave a deep breath. "Fine." He went into his bag and pulled out the sturdy stick and notched plank. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Bulbasaur accepted the tools and set to work, vigorously twisting the stick between his claws while Chikorita watched. After several minutes without results, however, Chikorita began to lose interest. Bulbasaur checked the temperature of the tools. They were hot, but not nearly hot enough. He persisted, this time working ceaselessly, fearing any break in the rhythm would undo his work.

Chikorita checked back on him a while later, and seeing his struggle, offered some advice.

"Go for longer strokes," she said. "They take less energy but do the same thing. Also, try and press down more on the stick."

Bulbasaur nodded. "Got it."

It would be a lie to say Bulbasaur completed the task quickly. He did, however, eventually get the job done. After several frustrating minutes, he found black embers at the bottom of the plank of wood. Tapping the wood like he saw Gible do, he was able to get all of the embers into the small, tumbleweed-like cocoon for his fire. Taking the bundle with his vines, he waved them about in the air, blowing into it when he saw the bundle smoking. Eventually it formed a respectable flame. Chikorita watched proudly as he placed it into the pile of wood.

"Good job," she said, prompting a grin from the tired fire-maker.

The group hadn't gathered as much wood as they would have liked, but it would be enough to last for the evening. Bulbasaur had suggested ripping down a few of the tree branches in the area, but Gible cautioned against that, not only because healthy, especially green limbs were more difficult to acquire and burn, but also on the principle of cooperating, rather than opposing the natural world- a view, he stated, many explorers subscribed to.

Gible handed everyone a plate of sliced apples as they all gathered together around the fire's comforting glow. The smokey air kept the bugs at bay while they ate, much to the relief of Gible whose arms were covered in their bites.

As Bulbasaur ate the apple slices, he wondered if Gible had a knife in his bag to cut the apples with. The cuts seemed too clean to be the work of anything less than a sharp tool. It naturally brought up the question of whether or not Pokémon even used such weapons to fight. To humans, weapons were tools of war and an advantage in any conflict. But with the incredible abilities Pokémon already had, he wondered if a flimsy-looking knife would be of any use.

Chikorita became aware of his ponderous state and rested her hoof on his claw. "What's wrong?" she asked, misinterpreting his expression.

He lifted his claw. "I'm fine," he said, without enough force to completely convince her. Because Chikorita knew there was a lot he was keeping from Gible, she decided not to press the issue.

Bulbasaur leaned back. "So whaddya guys do for fun, anyway? You guys have games you play or something?"

Gible put his hand to his chin. "Not sure what you mean," he said. "You mean like hide and seek and mock fighting and whatnot?"

"Eh, not exactly," Bulbasaur said, scrunching half his face thoughtfully. "I'm talkin' about board games and party games. Y'know, like cards 'n' stuff."

They gave him such weird looks that he felt compelled to explain.

"Looklooklook, I'll show you."

Using his claw like a writing tool, he drew a messy three-by-three grid into the dirt. "This is a strategy game where the goal is to get three in a row. It's called Tic-tac-toe."

"Three whats in a row?" Chikorita asked, looking over the dirt drawing with fascination.

"Three X's or three O's, depending on which one you want to be. You want to play?" he asked, offering a seat opposite him. Chikorita took the offer, still confused as ever.

"We each take turns putting down one of our guys. When you have three guys all touching each other in a line, you win. If the whole grid is filled and no one wins, we start over."

"How do you put down a guy?"

"Like this," Bulbasaur said, drawing an X in the corner of the graph. "Now you put down one of your circle guys in the graph, inside one of the boxes."

"There's only one box though," Chikorita said, pointing to the center square. Gible waddled over and sat down next to them, equally as eager to learn the game.

"Oh! No, everything else is a box too. I'm just too lazy to make them look that way. There should be nine boxes altogether. Let me make it clearer."

Bulbasaur quickly made a square around the grid to make it look more like a proper graph. Chikorita nodded, beginning to understand.

"Okay, I wanna put my guy next to yours. I can do that, right? Your guy won't eat mine, will it?"

"Nonono, this isn't a war game. Go ahead and draw a circle in the box if you wanna."

Chikorita leaned over and did so. Bulbasaur nodded. "Alright, I'm gonna go here."

He put his X below his previous. "Next turn I'm going to get three in a row. That means I'll win unless you stop me."

"So I should put my next guy where you want to go. That'll stop you, right?"

"Yup. For now," Bulbasaur said, revealing an impish smile.

Chikorita made an O in the corner Bulbasaur planned to go, preventing his instant victory. That's when Bulbasaur, without a moment's hesitation, put an X in the center square and smiled victoriously.

"I'm going to win next turn," he announced.

Chikorita squinted at him. "Not if I block you again," she said. But when she looked down at the board, she saw there were two ways Bulbasaur could win.

"Can I put down two guys at once?" she asked out of desperation.

"Nope. Sometimes loss is inevitable. Accept it as a lesson and learn from it."

"What was my mistake then?" she asked, still confused by the game's strategy. To her, she blocked all of his attacks and thus, shouldn't have lost.

"It's kinda complicated to explain but basically you trapped yourself. See, if you put a guy on the edge here, there are only two ways for you to win. But if you go in the center, for example, there are four ways. It's twice as good to be in the center."

"So putting an O in the middle is the best move?"

"Yup. Plus, going first is really helpful too," he said with a grin. "Next time we play, I'll let you go first."

Gible cleared his throat. "I think I've got it. Let me try."

Bulbasaur shrugged. "Sure. You okay with that, Chikorita?"

She nodded and rolled to the side, allowing Gible to take her place. Bulbasaur messed the dirt up to give himself a clean slate. Then he set up the board again.

"I want to go first," Gible said, marking an O in the center square.

The game began anew, but with neither side offering any advantage. After nine turns, the board was filled and no one won.

"Is it a tie then?" Chikorita asked, examining the board to make sure she hadn't missed any matches.

"Yup. Most games end in a tie anyway."

He put up his front claws as if presenting it for the first time. "And that's Tic-tac-toe. It's nothing special, really, but it's easy to set up and play."

Bulbasaur picked up his bowl and began to eat again. "So whaddya guys think?"

He expected the group to return to their meals by the fire, but instead they dragged them over to the dirt patch and drew their own graph. Then they began to play again, all while munching on their meals as if they were snacks.

Bulbasaur smiled. It was hard to believe a simple kids' game could enthrall them like that. Pretty soon, they'd learn every game ended up in a tie, but until then, Bulbasaur enjoyed watching them struggle to find the best moves and invent clever strategies to outwit the other.

Chikorita and Gible played several games before the dying fire, the darkening sky, and their full bellies began to catch up with them. The cicadas were singing their atonal songs when Gible stretched and yawned.

"Methinks nighttime is fast approaching," Gible said facetiously. "I'm gonna pee real quick and go to bed. You two should do the same."

Gible's yawn was contagious. Bulbasaur gave his own. "I'll pee when I wanna," he said, shifting his head back and forth to relieve himself of any cricks he'd developed.

He looked down at the tired form of Chikorita. She crawled along the ground on her belly. "Meh," she said, her mouth partially in the dirt. Bulbasaur, thinking it great sport, followed her example.

Gible moved in the direction of the trees. "Suit yourselves," he said. "I'm beat."

He walked a short distance and then stopped. He ran back up the hill a ways. "But don't get up to any mischief, y'hear? You know what I mean."

Then he went back down the hill, leaving Bulbasaur and Chikorita lying on the ground, too lazy to move.

"Bleh," Bulbasaur said, flopping around like a slow-moving fish above water.

Chikorita wiggled around like an earthworm. "Blargh," she said, no longer trying to make sense.

"Merg," came the thought-provoking reply.

Both were able to keep a straight face until Chikorita attempted to speak with her face flush against the ground.

She spat out the dirt. "Gross," she said. That was the catalyst for their fit of giggles.

Gible was back in an instant. "What are you two doing?" he asked, seeing them covered in dirt and practically out of their minds.

"No idea," Bulbasaur said, twisting his neck to look at Gible.

"Well what are _you_ doing?" Chikorita asked in reply.

"Going to bed," Gible said simply. "G'night, kiddos. Don't stay up too late."

"G'night!" they said, looking up at the firefly-spangled sky. Not long after Gible went in the tent, Chikorita and Bulbasaur scooted closer to one another.

* * *

"Hey, Bulbasaur? What do you think is up there?" Chikorita asked, pointing to the stars. She turned on her side, allowing the soft grass to caress her shoulder.

Bulbasaur craned his neck to see the lonely world above, the protrusion on his back preventing him from lying in a more comfortable position. Far above him, gentle lights flickered, radiating as an act of defiance against the dim space around them.

"A lot of darkness," he said, his claw fidgeting with the blades of grass. "A lot of cold, empty darkness."

"Not all of it though," Chikorita insisted. "Look how many stars there are. They're like baby suns. Maybe they have baby worlds too."

He smiled. "You're right. Maybe I came from one of those baby worlds."

"What was it like there?" she asked. "Were the people there kinda like you?"

Tired of twisting his neck, he returned her gaze. "From what I remember, yeah."

His eyes immediately shifted to the grass below. "I hope none of them miss me," he said, shivering as the night air became too much for him.

She scooted closer, nearly touching him. "Stay safe for their sake then."

He nodded and looked back up at the sky despondently. He searched for the only constellation he knew how to find- Orion. But try as he might, he couldn't locate the hunter anywhere in the never-ending expanse. As he was searching, he saw one of the stars, a tiny speck in the light show, flicker out, its light lost forever.

"Another world just died," he said, pointing to the sky.

"Hmm?"

"A star just faded," he noted matter-of-factly

"Oh. Well nothing lasts forever though, not even the stars."

"Yeah... I hate knowing that."

He sat staring at the stars, no longer caring how his neck felt anymore. He stared at the spot where the star used to be.

"I hate-"

He swallowed. "I hate feeling so removed. I hate being so small and having an even smaller heart. I can't bring myself to care that an entire world just disappeared."

Chikorita sat up and put her leg on his neck. "Sometimes loss is inevitable," she said. "Accept it as a lesson and learn from it."

"What lesson should I learn from this?" he asked, leaning into her comforting hold.

She thought for a moment. "Well... I think we should be thankful the world offered its light so freely, expecting nothing in return. It's kind of like the plants or the food we eat, right? They offer their lives for our sake, the least we can do is live knowing that."

"It's like a debt I can never repay."

"Think of it more like a gift," she replied, to which Bulbasaur could only smile.

They sat there for a while, watching the fireflies flit about, searching for companions as the night wore on. A thought crossed Bulbasaur's mind, which churned his stomach the more it burned within him. He decided to speak his mind.

"Hey, Chikorita?"

She stirred from her thoughtful state and turned her neck slightly to look at him. "What is it?" she asked, her gaze making it all the more difficult to speak.

"I- I-" he stammered, rethinking whether he should go through with telling her. He inhaled and exhaled quickly, prepping himself.

"Even though I really miss home and would love- more than anything- to see it again... I'm really glad I met you."

For both of them, it felt as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. And even though both were far from their homes, both were overcome with the pleasant feeling of belonging.

"Me too," she said, giving him a light squeeze around the neck. He tried to return the affection by giving her a light hug as well, but was only able to bring himself to brushing her shoulder with his claw, which Chikorita thought was adorable.

Slightly embarrassed by the turn of events, Bulbasaur stood up and cleared his throat. "Well, it's probably bedtime," he said. "Don't want to wake up tired, y'know."

"Yeah," she agreed, taking a few steps back. "Gible really likes to wake up early."

Bulbasaur walked over to the tent and held its flap open with his vines. Chikorita gave a grateful nod as she entered. Already, the leaf on her head began to glow pink as she settled down to sleep. Bulbasaur crept past Gible and lay his head on the other side of the tent, comforted by the familiar scent. It wasn't long before both fell into a deep sleep with goofy smiles printed on their faces.


	16. Chapter 16: Frustration

It was a while before the explorer could find familiar territory again. Even so, Gible refused to show such weakness to the budding pupils, fearing they may lose that all-important confidence in him. When he did find the path, however, he was surprised at how far they'd come. At the rate they were going, they'd likely reach Clear Waters by nightfall. The thought of camping at his old home spurred him onward. Diving deep into his memories would do him good, provided the two other Pokémon behaved themselves.

He looked back at Chikorita and Bulbasaur, who, despite being woken up early with news of bad Pokémon, were quite cheerful. They even had enough energy to play pretend with some sticks they'd found, waving them about like scepters as they ruled over their imaginary kingdom. In a way, Gible was jealous of their ability to find joy in such trivial things, rather than the trappings which ensnared Pokémon like himself.

They had reentered the woods- a transition that went mostly unnoticed by the party- just before eating their midday meal. Because they had missed breakfast, Gible rationed out a little more than he normally would have.

If their supplies were any indication, they would have more than enough food to last them all the way back, barring any disaster. Even then, a day or two without food was but a trivial thing to most explorers, who would sometimes spend days trapped in multi-storied mystery dungeons, looking for hidden staircases or legendary items promising great power to those worthy of attaining it. Hunger was but another obstacle to overcome in the sprawling mazes filled with horrible monsters.

During lunch, Gible noticed Bulbasaur and Chikorita were constantly exchanging looks, as though they were hiding a hilarious secret between them. He felt a little left out of the group, but knew such things were typical of younger Pokémon. Try as he might, he would never be as "cool" as them.

He clapped his hands decidedly, struck with a thought. "Hey, who's up for a game of Tic-Toc-Toe?" he asked, already beginning to draw the lines in the dirt. He had to remove several rocks in the way and push aside several leaves, but he was able to clear a space large enough for a playing field.

"It's Tic- _Tac_ -Toe," Bulbasaur corrected, realizing only afterward how his tone was slightly more condescending than he anticipated. "But I'll play a game or two, if ya want."

"New rule though," Gible said, his finger raised. "Whoever goes first has to play their first person on one of the edges. You wanna be X or O?"

Bulbasaur's eyes darted about. "Wait a moment," he said, as he began to forage the immediate area. "Imma get some game pieces to make this easier."

He grabbed five small, jagged stones and a stick. Breaking the stick into five pieces, he set the pieces before Gible.

"See? Now we don't have to erase the board every time. Just pick up your pieces when you're done with them."

Gible clicked his tongue. "Smart thinking, kid. So, do you wanna go first or shall I?"

"It's always best to go first," Bulbasaur said, placing a dirty pebble on the edge square. "Preemptive strike!"

"Not if it costs you a necessary advantage," Gible said with a smile. "Pierced your heart!" he shouted with an equally dramatic voice as he placed his twig in the center square.

"You're surrounded!" Bulbasaur countered, placing his piece on the opposing edge.

"Nuh-uh!" Gible said, putting his piece on another edge, threatening the last, unclaimed edge. "I've just driven through your line of defense is all."

Bulbasaur didn't need to think about his next move; any other move would be instant death. He immediately blocked the attempt. "Denied!"

Gible placed his piece in the corner, next to his other twigs. After he did, he realized what a good situation he was in. He folded his arms. "I win," he said, waving his head tauntingly.

Bulbasaur snorted. "Not likely."

He looked at the board more carefully. Chikorita lifted her head to get a better view. After a few moments, both Pokémon gasped. They hadn't noticed it right away, but Gible had two ways to win next turn.

"Looks like I'm the Tic-Toc-Tea master now," Gible said, standing up to do an annoying dance. Bulbasaur was in such shock, he didn't bother correcting him.

"Wow!" Chikorita said, seeing the horror on Bulbasaur's face and deciding to take advantage of it. "So if I beat you, Gible, will _I_ become the new champion?"

Gible didn't stop his dance. "Of course, but right now, the master Tic-Tocker isn't accepting any more challengers."

"Amazing," Chikorita said, leaning close to the other grass Pokémon. "What a guy. Maybe someday, if you train hard enough, you can become as good as him, Bulbasaur."

"The- that- that doesn't count!" Bulbasaur said at last, flustered by the teasing. "There isn't even a Tic-Tac-Toe champion anyway."

"There is now," Gible said, calming down a bit. Both he and the dance were getting old.

Bulbasaur scrambled the pieces out of frustration. "Next time we play, Gible, I'll destroy you. Sore winners exist to humble."

Gible laughed. "Relax, Bulbasaur; we're all friends here. We share our victories and losses."

Bulbasaur snorted. "Well when I win, you can keep your loss."

* * *

Having set up camp in record time, Bulbasaur found himself with more time than he expected. With Gible and Chikorita occupied by inventory management, Bulbasaur took the opportunity to get away from the group and explore the region on his own terms.

They were camped at Clear Waters, likely for Gible's sake than the group's. The plateau being as small as it was, it wasn't long before the entire platform was mapped in Bulbasaur's mind. All that remained was the outside area and he'd practically be an expert on the region.

Bulbasaur kicked aside a stick in his path and looked back at the natural rise. As long as he kept the structure in sight, he wouldn't lose his way; and if the other two really needed him, he would be close enough to find.

Bulbasaur stooped down. He noticed several thick webs in the grass, a sure sign of creepy-crawlers, likely burrowing spiders of some sort. Chikorita would probably know the names of them. She even liked the ugly bugs.

Taking a long stick, he curiously poked it into the animal's den. Seeing no reaction, he did the same to another one. Still nothing. He could destroy their homes and they wouldn't do anything. Whether that spoke to their patience, cowardice, or dopiness was unclear. He jiggled the stick around and left it there, disappointed.

A loud cawing startled him. He whipped around to see an ominous-looking crow perched in a tall tree, its eyes fixed on the grass Pokémon. It cawed again and flew to another tree, farther from the confused Pokémon.

" _What_?" Bulbasaur asked, his voice echoing through the trees. "Why are you staring at me like that?!"

The bird flapped its wings but didn't respond. Because of its large field of view, it was difficult to discern if it was, in fact, staring at him or merely kept him in its line of sight.

"You want me to follow you?" Bulbasaur demanded, ascribing its strange behavior as a means of communication.

The crow called out again, and flew to an even further tree. Bulbasaur waved it away with its claws. "Stupid bird," he muttered, walking in another direction. Almost instantly, a nearby cicada began to screech, startling him again.

"Ugh, just shut up," he growled quietly, shaking his head. He increased his pace to escape the natural noisemaker.

When at last the sounds of the forest were tolerable, Bulbasaur lay beneath the shade of a tree and sighed. Then, after taking a few deep breaths, he tried to clear his mind. Or, more accurately, allow it to wander. He thought about Gible, about Chikorita, about the Explorer House, and then, last of all, himself.

He didn't like to admit it, but the idea of becoming human again was just as scary as staying a Pokémon forever. Even though he never told the others, his memories were slowly returning to him. At first, he believed this knowledge would make him happy. But as he remembered more and more, he began to distance himself from his previous life.

If recent recollections were any indication, he was less than a likeable person before he became a Pokémon. And while his past self felt quite distant from his present one, he couldn't help but notice elements of that in person in who he was.

He frowned. Such thoughts weren't terribly pleasant, especially when Pokémon like Chikorita put so much faith in him. Perhaps he wasn't a bad Pokémon, but he used to be a bad human. He could only hope his humanity wouldn't bleed too much into his new life.

He uprooted a few clumps of grass. The plants resisted his efforts at first, but eventually their shallow, intertwined roots yielded to his strength. He snorted. It was funny to think such a weak plant could cover the whole world.

He patted down the dirt he'd loosened and looked back at the plateau. He could see smoke rising from the fire he'd made. It must have grown up without him. That meant Gible and Chikorita were taking care of the fire, which meant they had probably noticed his disappearance by now. It was time to go back before they became worried.

He felt a sharp sting on his leg. He sprang up and wiped himself off, flicking away several angry ants that were biting him. Without realizing it, he had sat on their home, and they were determined to teach him a lesson. Another bite irked him to retaliate. He leveled the colony with a sweep of his claws, sending the group into a panic. Then he spat on the black mass of ants and walked away, rubbing his legs angrily.


	17. Chapter 17: Unofficial Explorers

Bulbasaur gasped for air. Running up the steep incline was still just as tiring as it ever was.

"Who's this?" a voice demanded.

Bulbasaur nearly had a heart attack. A towering figure twice his height was glaring at him, and pointing his poisonous claws threateningly in his direction. The bulb on his neck, a red sack filled with poison, caused him to gurgle slightly with every word, as though every noise he made passed through the half-empty chamber.

The dangerous creature was a Toxicroak- a frog-like Pokémon that could exhale lethal doses of poison on its breath. Though he stood on two legs, he would frequently arch his back and scratch at the ground with the claw on the back of its hand. The Pokémon was holding a length of rope, a few bolas, and a weighted stick in his lop-sided belt, all of which jiggled as he frequently shifted his weight.

Behind Toxicroak, Gible and Chikorita stood side-by-side, slowly approaching the poisonous intruder as if preparing to attack. Toxicroak realized this and pointed to Bulbasaur.

"You. Bulbasaur. Stand near your friends over there."

He gestured to others.

"C'mon, I'm in a hurry," he urged with another wave of his long, extended claw.

Bulbasaur hesitantly joined the group, confused by the turn of events.

"We don't have any money," Gible said, his voice faltering slightly.

"Not interested in money; I'm looking for someone. Have you seen an Electivire come through here?"

Toxicroak took great care to keep all three in his sight, but would occasionally check where Bulbasaur came from to make sure no one else was coming.

After glancing between themselves, they answered truthfully. "No," Gible said. "And we're not interested in helping you anyway."

The frog-like Pokémon squinted and neck twisted about, scoping the area. "Listen," he said, spreading his arms to make himself look more trustworthy, "I'm just trying to catch a dangerous criminal. Please don't make my job difficult."

The group took a step back. Gible cleared his throat. "Well we don't know anything. So please go."

Toxicroak bent down and picked up a bowl of Cheri berries. After eating a few like popcorn, he set the plate down again and wiped his hands on his legs. His eyes locked onto Chikorita, who he believed was the weakest among them. He brought himself on one knee to meet eyes with her.

"What about you, little one? You have anything you want to tell me?"

She shook her head and turned away. The side of Toxicroak's mouth curled upward and he gave short laugh. "Fine, I get it," he said, standing up to his full height. "I'll be on my way then."

He made a motion to leave, but stopped to fire a parting shot. "Oh, and if any of you find Electivire, you'll be handsomely rewarded. This Pokémon is so dangerous, there's a pretty bounty on his head. Just something to consider," he said as he waved them goodbye.

He jumped down from the plateau and hopped deeper into the forest, in the same direction the group was planning to eventually go. The three travelers watched as his lanky figure moved further and further from their sight until at last he disappeared into the trees. Collectively, they sighed in relief.

Bulbasaur's face scrunched up. "What was _that_?" he asked, still unsure what to make of the situation.

"A professional bounty-hunter, I'll wager," Gible spat, his tone revealing his regard for those in such occupations.

"He ruined Bulbasaur's meal," Chikorita noted, dumping out the bowl and wiping it off with her leaf. "We'll wash this bowl off later, I guess," she said, setting it off to the side. "Don't wanna risk eating poison, after all."

"By the way, where were you, Bulbasaur?" Gible asked. "Chikorita thought you'd fallen off the campsite and died."

"No I didn't!" Chikorita responded indignantly. "I said we should look around, just in case he fell, that's all."

"Well I didn't fall, so no need to worry," Bulbasaur said, appreciating the concern. "So did that guy show up just before I did or what?"

Gible looked up at the sky. "Yeah, he probably saw the smoke," he noted. He then lowered himself and picked up a mouthful of dirt like a shovel. Carrying the dirt in his mouth, he waddled over and spat it out onto the fire, smothering it.

"We should be a little less conspicuous if there really is a criminal around," Gible explained. "But don't worry though- this'll probably be the last night out before we reach your home, Chikorita, so we'll be extra safe."

Chikorita nodded as she watched the fire suffocate and die. Even though she missed her family and the wonderful Pokémon back at home, she was disappointed to know she had but a single day of freedom left.

She looked over at Bulbasaur. "Well, if it's our last night out, we should probably make the most of it," she said, hoping he'd catch the hint.

He nodded. "Absolutely. Let's make sure to get extra sleep while we can."

Gible couldn't help but notice their sneaky grins.

* * *

High in the heavens, a full moon illuminated the lonely island, and watched the two Pokémon below clamber down from their campsite. It smiled knowing its magic had set the stage for a night of beauty. With a wave of its invisible hands, it fanned a gentle wind to stir the long blades of grass, which sang their quiet songs to the restless Pokémon as they ran into the dark forest.

Bulbasaur leaned against a tree, catching his breath. Chikorita did likewise, rubbing her back against the rough bark as she looked up at the forest canopy, struck by the trees' magnificence. In awe she observed the giants stretch and wave in the night air.

A sudden jab in her side made her squeal. She immediately looked to Bulbasaur, who made no effort in hiding his mischievous face.

"There," he said with a smile. "Now I only owe you one more poke."

She gave his bulb a playful shove, but underestimated how springy it was. She bounced back and thrown on the ground, but she laughed it off and recovered quickly. After shaking herself off, she walked beside him for a while before speaking.

"So where d'ya wanna go?" she asked, allowing her leaf to rest on his head.

He gave something resembling a shrug and looked around, as if the answer would show itself. "Wanna look for a mystery dungeon?" he asked at last.

She nodded. "That sounds fine. But promise me, if we see more than one bad Pokémon, you'll leave right away. We could probably beat one baddy, but two... maybe not."

"Agreed," he said with a nod.

The two began looking around for any apparent caves, secret passageways, or suspicious bushes in the area. To fill the silence, Chikorita would talk about the other explorers: how she met them, their daily jobs around the house, and anything funny stories that came to mind. Bulbasaur listened politely, but if he had to be honest, he didn't care too much about the other explorers, at least not yet. He was sure, in time, he'd grow to understand them better, just as he did with Chikorita. So rather than stopping her from rambling or changing the subject, he would smile politely and do his best to remember specifics.

"So you thinking about staying with us?" Chikorita suddenly asked, her anticipatory breaths demonstrating much more interest than she dare show.

Bulbasaur was caught off guard. "I mean, I guess," he said, finding it difficult to meet her gaze. "I have nowhere else, y'know?"

She liked the response well enough and smiled to herself, temporarily relieved of some of her fears. Gaining a little courage, she brought up another thing on her mind.

"So I was thinking, even if it isn't official or anything, would you like to be explorers together? Most explorers work together, so- so maybe if we were partners... we could be a better team, right?"

Bulbasaur considered it. She was right; Pokémon were much stronger in groups, explorers included. If he ever wanted to go exploring and see what else the gigantic world filled with Pokémon had to offer, he would at least need a partner. And of all the Pokémon in the Explorer House, she seemed the most normal.

Bulbasaur was silent for what seemed like minutes before he met her eyes. She expected a simple answer but received something completely different.

"What about your parents? Wouldn't they get worried if you went exploring all by yourself?"

"I wouldn't go by myself; you'd be with me," she said, not willing to concede the truth behind his words.

"Your parents don't really know me. Honestly, I'm surprised they trusted me enough to join your camping trip in the first place. I'm sure with time though, they'll come to trust me as much as you do. Then we can ask them."

Although she didn't like the response as much as a simple affirmative, she saw the wisdom in his idea. "Alright then. I guess we're doubly unofficial explorers then," she said, nudging the side of his head with her own.

He laughed. "I suppose so. Whaddya wanna call our team then?"

"I don't know. But we'll have plenty of time to decide later though. Look."

She pointed to several rows of raspberry bushes that formed a hedge maze. Both Pokémon recognized it as a mystery dungeon right away and ran toward it, trembling at the thought of discovering someplace new. They stopped in front of its entrance, briefly hesitating to make sure they were on the same page. From outside, they looked in to see if there were any obvious threats within.

Chikorita bit her lip. "I was gonna say this is our first unofficial team exploration together, but I guess that's not true, is it?"

Bulbasaur chuckled. "I suppose. Every since we fought those bad Pokémon, we've practically done everything together, really."

She gave a thoughtful hum and peered into the dungeon one last time. "You ready to go in?"

"Let's do it," he said, kicking the dirt like a bull ready to charge.


	18. Chapter 18: The Kingdom of Sweets

The berry bush maze was surprisingly large and confusing, but Chikorita and Bulbasaur didn't seem mind too much. They stuck together, switching between leaders as it became convenient. Although they had much to talk about, they held their peace, electing instead to take in the wonderful scenery. The moon's pale glow caused the leaves on the bushes to glisten, making the raspberries all the more enticing to the curious Pokémon. Every now and then, they would reach over and eat a blessing or two, savoring the sweet sensation of popping the berries between their teeth.

At the edge of the labyrinth, they came to a set of stairs. Much of it was overgrown but usable nonetheless. With a breath to gather her courage, Chikorita entered the next floor, which was surprisingly well-lit. Bulbasaur followed behind her, confused at first how light could reach them a floor down. That's when he looked up and saw the moon.

"Did we just... how did...?"

Chikorita looked back where she came from and smiled knowingly.

"We're not under the previous floor," she explained. "This section of the maze is just lower, that's all. See up there?"

She pointed to a sharp cliff above them. "That's where we just were. The stairs made it possible to climb down here without too much hassle is all."

"Well that's convenient," Bulbasaur noted, looking up at the cliff.

"Mystery dungeons are weird places. What I don't get is why there aren't more Pokémon living in them," she said, putting a hoof to her chin, buried in her thoughts. "Remember Gallade's story? The way he told it, dozens of bad Pokémon are supposed to live here... but I don't see anyone."

Bulbasaur looked around. "I'm glad there aren't many Pokémon," he admitted. "Maybe they're sleeping somewhere. We do most of our exploring at night, right?"

"Perhaps that's the reason," she said, walking slowly forward. "I'm probably worrying over nothing."

Bulbasaur gasped. "Oh! That reminds me! What's the Windsmother? I remember Shuppet mentioning it one time. Could that be why all the Pokémon are gone?"

Chikorita's jaw tightened. She stopped in her tracks and looked back at Bulbasaur.

"It's hard to tell what Shuppet is saying sometimes," she said ambiguously. She hastened herself, not willing to answer any more questions.

"Wait!" he called, now even more curious about the topic. "Is it a Pokémon or something?!"

She stopped and turned around, nearly causing a collision as Bulbasaur tried to catch up with her. After he skidded to a halt before her, she put a hoof on his shoulder and looked directly at him.

"Please... Bulbasaur... let's talk about something else. Anything you want. That's not a comfortable subject for me."

Bulbasaur gave pause at her words. If avoiding the subject meant so much to her, he was willing to respect that. So, even though he hated relinquishing the matter, he nodded to show his cooperation. However, he wasn't above taking advantage of the opportunity she'd given him.

"Okay then," he said, trying his best to speak confidently in spite of himself, "what's the... process for- y'know- courtship and all that good stuff? Like, do Pokémon go on dates or do they just..."

His voice trailed off as he found himself without words to finish his masterpiece of a question.

She giggled and dug in the dirt awkwardly, looking up now and then as she struggled to address the question with sufficient class.

"We...," she began, but never finished. She went back to digging in the dirt as she thought how best to answer him.

"It's all right," he said, just as embarrassed as her, "I was just curious."

"No, no it's okay. I wasn't expecting that, is all," she said.

She looked off to the side and back at the ground. "Well, most Pokémon get married before they... but some eager Pokémon skip a few steps."

There was a long pause. Both of them took the opportunity to sit down.

"But yeah, Pokémon make friends, go on dates, have their drama... and everything else," she said at last.

Chikorita had practically dug a trench with her nervous digging. She looked back up at Bulbasaur. "What about humans? Basically the same thing?"

"Mmhmm," he hummed in agreement.

"Are the human females similar to the males?" Chikorita asked, unaware how distant the question sounded.

Bulbasaur burst into a fit of giggles. "Geez!" he exclaimed. "You're so formal! Call them girls- or women- or ladies- or _something_! Don't Pokémon have other words for 'female'?"

"Most of them aren't very proper," she said simply.

"Oh... sorry."

She patted his claw understandingly. "You're fine. Sometimes I _can_ be a little too formal without realizing it. I hope I don't come off as arrogant."

"Absolutely not," Bulbasaur said with a reassuring smile. "Do you remember the time we played in the dirt and made silly noises? I've never seen an arrogant person do that."

She laughed, recalling the previous night fondly. "We really should find a better way to entertain ourselves," she said as she picked herself up, "now that you're no longer the Tic-Tac-Toe champion."

Bulbasaur could only shake his head.

* * *

Wearing the spoils from their adventures, two cheerful adventurers meandered back to their campsite, drunk from their unopposed conquering of what Chikorita called the "Kingdom of Sweets". Bulbasaur had on a newly-acquired scarf, the properties of which were still a mystery to him.

His partner was wearing her own discovered treasure- a Bounce Band- that she wore around her neck like a collar. Bulbasaur had to admit, the metallic jewelry looked quite nice on her. His treasure- a flimsy scarf- was not quite as cool, but he loved wearing it so much, he hardly minded.

"It's such a shame we won't be able to wear these tomorrow," she said, straining to look at her own neck. She rubbed the band with the back of her leg, as if doing so would polish it.

"If we did, I'm sure Gible would have a fit," came the reply. "How're we gonna explain these new souvenirs?"

"We found them," she said succinctly.

Bulbasaur tilted his head and blinked. "I guess we did, didn't we?"

He flipped the scarf over his neck to avoid dragging it in the dirt. He yawned and stretched, smacking his lips afterward. "Well, that was fun," he said with a dopey smile.

"Same here. I had a lot of fun exploring with you."

She slowly approached him. "H-hey Bulbasaur? Do you mind if I ask you a really personal question?"

He snapped to attention. "Nah, I don't mind. What is it?"

She polished the band around her neck again, and looked at the source of her nervousness.

"Do you know any... humans... that are like me?"

He understood what she was getting at. His answer mattered a great deal to her, so he chose his words carefully. He smiled and gently shook his head, giving himself more time to think.

"Not a one," he said at last. "You're special, and everyone knows that. That's why the entire Explorer House was there when you left: all of those Pokémon believe you're destined for greatness, and they all want to be there, supporting you as it happens."

Chikorita pressed in close and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I want you to be there too," she purred.

A warm feeling washed over them, making it difficult to think clearly. Bulbasaur's first instinct was to recoil, being unfamiliar with such a feeling, but he restrained himself. He quite liked what she did. Chikorita was still surprised with herself for taking such a bold step, but hoped he shared the same feelings. She stepped back and waited, her tiny frame trembling with anticipation.

"Now I get to kiss you back," he said, trying to do so with the same level of grace. He tiptoed over to her and readied himself to return the favor, but hesitated, frozen from embarrassment.

"Uh... if- if that's okay," he stammered.

She nodded, closing her eyes as he moved in. Even with her endorsement, he could only bring himself to press his lips against her cheek and pull away. That was enough to send a giggle through her body though.

"That tickles," she said with a hushed voice as another wave of giggles overtook her. Bulbasaur joined in as the two of them climbed up the steep incline and walked into the campsite. Chikorita's leaf had already begun to exude its sweet scent as they entered the tent and settled into their separate places. They tucked away their newly-found treasures and nestled themselves in the dirt.

"G'night," Bulbasaur whispered as he closed his tired eyes.

"G'night. See you in the morning," she said, curling herself up in her leaf.

Not long after, the two fell into a deep sleep, both dreaming of the other as they explored imaginary worlds in impossible landscapes and fantastic situations.

Unbeknownst to them, their guide lay awake, disappointed with them for sneaking off like that, but pleasantly surprised at how easily they'd found such fantastic treasure. He wished he could compliment them on their good work, knowing the context of the situation, couldn't. Their lives were more important than any treasure, and it was difficult to protect them if they disobeyed him.

He stared up at the tent's covering, wondering if he should receive their act as one of rebellion or graduation. Perhaps it was for the best they learned the basics of exploration without him. He was slightly disappointed in himself for not showing them a mystery dungeon or two along the way. Instead, he showed them places that he liked, that he found interesting, rather than places they needed to see.

He frowned at a sudden realization. His job wasn't to guide Chikorita along the safest path; his job was to guide her along the path of an explorer. He had failed at his job.

He turned over on his side and rubbed his moist eyes. Then he curled up in a ball and returned to his fitful sleep. He would get another chance to prove himself tomorrow.


	19. Chapter 19: The Second Wish

In the warmth and comfort of his bed, Altaria found no end to his inescapable agony. He was surrounded by the finest art, the softest pillows, and the most wonderful food, but the pain was unbearable. And no matter how hard he tried, how desperately he wanted to move, his body refused to respond. Even his breathing felt involuntary, regulated even, which put incredible strain on his punctured chest.

Thinking had become a difficult task. His senses had become muddied, his attention short-lived. Concentrating felt tedious, pointless even. And the pain- it was eager to remind him of its power. It would grab him by the chin and force him to look into its eyes- laughing as he tried to squirm away. Pain was always running its cold fingers down his neck, digging its fingernails into him whenever it grew bored. And worse, no one would help him. Pokémon moved in and out of his room, treating him as a spoiled prince, but ignored his pitiful wails with such callousness that, at first, Altaria thought they were deaf. But a heartless few smiled back at him, mocking his suffering with contemptuous smirks.

Only Jirachi, the Pokémon that promised to stay by his side until his wishes were granted, found it convenient to respond to him. Although most would have found it difficult to understand his short, choppy sentences, Jirachi always knew what he was talking about, and would offer brief words of comfort in response. Then the wish Pokémon would sit beside him and listen to him breath, as if waiting for him to continue speaking. But Altaria would never continue. He knew how pointless his words were. It took everything he had to muster those few words, and even after all that, they accomplished nothing. He was still trapped in a paralyzed body, surrounded by luxuries he couldn't enjoy and Pokémon he couldn't love.

Jirachi set down a small vase full of light-colored geraniums and looked over at the patient with its dark eyes. It hovered over the pitiable dragon, letting the ribbons on its back rest atop the bed. With tiny fingers, the starlight Pokémon rubbed Altaria's wings, as if testing the softness of a new coat. A sigh escaped the little Pokémon, unabashedly expressing its discontent.

"You still have two more wishes, you know," the wish Pokémon mentioned with a flick of its wrist. A small chunk of cotton came loose, which floated through the air until finding rest on the marble floor below.

After making suspicious glances around the room, Jirachi moved closer. "Make me stronger, and I promise I'll fix you. Wish me the power to cure any ailment."

Several groaning noises escaped from the dragon, indicating intention to speak. Jirachi descended to better hear him.

With clouded eyes Altaria stared into Jirachi's face, begging for his savior to rescue him- to reach out and pluck him from the depths of his ceaseless torment. But Jirachi sat by his bed and watched, waiting for him to speak on his own.

"I can't use my powers if you don't wish for something," Jirachi reminded him. "Just say the wish, and I'll make the pain go away. Imagine what it'd be like to _move_ again."

"M-move," Altaria repeated with great exertion.

"Yes! Yes! I know you can do it!"

The dragon made several painful-sounding grunts before speaking. "I wi- wi- wishhhh to..."

Summoning every ounce of will he had, Altaria finished his sentence with one last breath.

"To move!"

"You wish to move again?" Jirachi asked, making tiny fists with his hands. "That's your wish?"

If he could have nodded, Altaria would have, and vigorously. Even without this confirmation though, Jirachi knew the wish had already been made. The Wish Maker had spoken, and the wish granter was bound to obey.

Jirachi picked up the vase of flowers and smashed it against the table, showering the room with shards of glass.

"A _thousand_ years I've waited!" the wish Pokémon screamed, grabbing a handful of glass and crushing it in its palm.

"I slaved to build you a perfect world! A world of peace! Look! The wallpaper has a happy Spheal and baby Wailmer! Even the wallpaper is happy! Why can't you be?!"

Jirachi sprinkled the glass on the floor, letting blood drip down its once-white arm. Enraged, the star Pokémon reared back to strike Altaria, but after seeing no reaction, reconsidered and backed away. Trembling with each shallow breath, it paced the room multiple times. Its yellow ribbons made quiet swishing noises as they dragged along the ground, unintentionally sweeping the polished marble.

Suddenly, Jirachi turned to the helpless creature, revealing a terrible, familiar smile.

"You still have another wish. So maybe... maybe there's hope for our relationship yet."

Jirachi picked up the fallen germanium flowers and held them in its loving arms.

"You should go to sleep. It's the middle of the night and we're all a little grumpy. So let's promise to be nice and friendly in the morning, alright?"

Jirachi patted the dragon on the head and let the flowers drop on the glass and blood-covered floor.

* * *

Gible blinked as the world came into being. The sun was making a spectacle of itself, drowning out the lesser lights with its glory. There were a few young clouds daring enough to challenge the great light, but they were alone in their efforts and would present no concern to the three Pokémon on their way home.

Gible groaned, realizing he had slept late. He was hoping to reach the Explorer House before nightfall, but that would prove difficult at their usual pace. He would either need to push the others to incredible speeds or he'd have to take a shortcut directly through a mystery dungeon.

A smile crept on his face as he understood the situation for what it was- an opportunity. He roused them with a light heart, pressing them to hurry themselves if they wanted to get home in time. Then he set out a bowl of food and began the process of taking down the tent just after the sleepyheads left it.

"What's the rush?" Bulbasaur asked after a lengthy yawn.

"You wanna get home, doncha?" Gible asked. Then he realized who he was talking to. "Well, you wanna go home, right Chikorita?"

Chikorita gave a hesitant nod.

"Well the best way home is through a mystery dungeon," Gible explained, much to their surprise. "You guys ready?"

"But... didn't you say we shouldn't go into mystery dungeons?" Chikorita asked.

"Not alone, no; but with me, you guys'll be safe. Stick close and follow my lead. If I run, you run; if I fight, you fight, okay?"

"Okay," Bulbasaur repeated.

"Agreed," Chikorita said after a moment of thought.

Gible smiled. "Alrighty then, we'll be leaving shortly. If we move with enough speed, we'll see the Explorer House before the stars do."

* * *

"Hey, Gible, is this the cave?" Bulbasaur asked, pointing to a small hole in the side of the hill, just barely large enough for the three of them to enter comfortably, but would make for a tight squeeze should any larger Pokémon try and follow.

Above the opening was a wooden sign with a giant red X printed on it. Such an ambiguous mark above such a dark-looking place did not bode well with him, but he felt the need to point it out anyway, just in case.

Gible looked back at where he was pointing. "Oh no, we don't go in there. That's an abandoned mystery dungeon."

"Abandoned?" Bulbasaur questioned, catching up to the group. "Like, all the bad Pokémon are gone?"

"Like, all the life is gone," Gible said, his tone slightly mocking.

"I don't get it."

Chikorita stepped in. "You know how mystery dungeons have food and supplies all over the place? That mystery dungeon must have stopped doing that. And when there's no food or supplies, Pokémon can't live there anymore."

Gible scoffed. "They _can_ , they just don't _want_ to. Bad Pokémon are too lazy to grow their own food so they pack up and find someplace that'll feed them for free. Selfish little..."

"What causes that to happen?" Bulbasaur asked, looking back at the red X once more.

"No one understands mystery dungeons," Chikorita said. "We don't even know why they exist."

Gible adjusted his bags. "I think if Pokémon were willing to study them _scientifically_ , we'd know," he said, putting his finger up matter-of-factly. "But bad Pokémon make that difficult. Still, I think it's worth a few scientists' lives. Having the power to produce endless food and treasures- can you imagine that?"

Chikorita thought to mention that just because something can be _studied_ doesn't mean it is necessarily _understood_ , let alone harnessed, but decided against it. Gible wasn't the sort of Pokémon that was fun to argue with.

"Does this place have a name?" Bulbasaur asked, startling them.

"I- I guess not," Gible admitted.

Bulbasaur raised his vines up to the sky and proclaimed in a loud voice. "Henceforth, ye shall be called 'Redexland', oh magnificent, abandoned cave! Thee thy yea verily and whatnot."

He turned to his partner. "How's that?"

Chikorita gave him an inquisitive look. "Redexland? Really?"

Gible interrupted the conversation. "What happened there?" Gible demanded as he pointed to one of Bulbasaur's raised vines.

The grass Pokémon looked up to see one of his green tendrils was much shorter than the rest. At first, he was confused and frightened. He was largely ignorant of his own anatomy, which meant if he ever contracted a disease or health condition, especially one exclusive to Pokémon, he might not realize it in time. For all he knew, he could have caught the plant equivalent of leprosy.

But then he remembered the fight against Zangoose. She had ripped the vine apart.

Thankfully it wasn't painful. In fact, the vine wasn't even sore or uncomfortable. He probably wouldn't have noticed its short length if Gible hadn't pointed it out.

"I think I caught it on a tree- tree branch when I was collecting wood," he lied.

"You're lucky those grow back. I've known many who've lost their limbs from carelessness."

He gave another look back at the cut vine as Bulbasaur sheepishly retracted it.

"Ah, enough of that," Gible said rubbing his hands together. "Look there! That's the mystery dungeon we're looking for! Get behind me, everyone!"

His pudgy finger was aimed at a smooth crevice, which was hidden from most angles. The mouth of the narrow cave dipped down slightly, and as a result, the ground was still wet from a previous rain. The walls, though smooth in texture, were not entirely vertical, which made the place look both unstable and unwelcoming.

Chikorita and Bulbasaur never officially raised any objections, but their expressions told enough. They didn't like it. The place seemed dark and oppressive, even more than any dungeon they'd visited previously.

With a cautious but proud march, the dragon led them into a dimly-lit cave, urging them to keep watch for any signs of trouble. With a wave of his hands, he invited them over.

Trusting their guide, the two unofficial explorers followed closely behind, exchanging nervous glances as they warily pressed forward.

Unbeknownst to them, just above their heads, the sediment had begun to shift and quiver with tension.


	20. Chapter 20: Gible's Legacy

Breathlessly, the Pokémon felt their way through the cave, lit only by the mysterious blue crystals half-buried in the walls. A low rumble overhead caused them to press their shoulders together, fearing for their lives. Gible assured them they were safe, despite his own cowering.

"Mystery dungeon walls, floor, and ceiling are protected," he said. "Not even the most powerful of Pokémon or forces of nature can change them."

Bulbasaur and Chikorita couldn't help but look up every now and then, terrified at the prospect of being buried alive. If the place were any darker, they would be on the verge of panic. Gible realized this and picked up his pace, not wanting to scare them any more.

Their path was unhindered by any bad Pokémon, much to the relief of the party, but the fear of being attacked was a source of unnerve regardless. They were always looking over their shoulders, looking up to see if the ceiling was giving way, looking forward for any source of light, and looking at each other for comfort. Eventually everyone regretted taking the shortcut. Bulbasaur even thought to mutter it every now and then, as the murk and constant fear began to take hold of him.

The air was stuffy, stagnant even, making every breath an unpleasant reminder of their plight. And with every twist and turn in the dungeon, the group would bump into each other. After a while, they stopped apologizing whenever it happened.

Then, when they had nearly forgotten why they came to the cave in the first place, they saw a bright light in the distance. The sight of such comfort in their despondent state was enough cause them to shout for joy. Bulbasaur squeezed past their guide and ran ahead, laughing as he stepped back into the world of light.

"Excuse me," Chikorita said as she followed her partner out, brushing past the weary dragon. Gible waved them ahead and put his hands on his knees as his movements slowed. There was another rumble overhead, causing the ground to tremble slightly. Chikorita looked back in the cave.

"You coming?!" she yelled, her voice echoing in the dark corridor.

"Yeah, yeah, hold up a moment!" he called, rubbing his eyes as he adjusted to the sunlight.

Bulbasaur poked his head into the cave. "C'mon, Gible, you need some fresh air. Just a little further."

The bulb Pokémon was showered with bits of gravel, causing him to cry out in surprise. He ducked into the cave and held out his vine for Gible to take.

"Let's go! You're making me nervous!"

Gible listlessly grabbed the vine and followed behind him, practically being dragged by Bulbasaur. The two ran out of the cave, squinting as the sun's rays blinded them.

A stream of loose dirt sprayed them as they exited. Bulbasaur stopped and shook off the soil. All of a sudden, then there was a loud cracking noise. One of the hill's teetering trees came loose as its roots snapped.

Gible and Bulbasaur looked up in horror as the tree came hurdling toward them. Gible let go of Bulbasaur's vine, causing the grass Pokémon to stumble forward, startled. Bulbasaur ran as fast as he could, but wasn't fast enough. A branch came crashing down on his bulb, knocking the wind out of him. Without the air to groan, his face was the only indication of his pain.

There was a scream followed by another rumble. Bulbasaur could hear the sound of falling rocks behind him as he became covered in a thin layer of dirt.

Chikorita dropped everything she was carrying and ran to the scene, brushing away the leaves and dirt to free Bulbasaur. His bags were tangled in the branches and he was covered in horrible scratches. She pulled off the bags from around his neck carefully, not wanting to accidentally injure him any further. She held out a hoof for him to take, which he did without another word. Then he gasped and fell down again.

"Bulbasaur!" Chikorita shouted, kneeling down to help him.

"No, find Gible," he said, wincing. "I'm fine. I'll survive."

She swallowed. She looked up, her eyes searching for any sign of their guide. "Oh please," she begged as she began to dig through the layers of dirt.

"Gible, if you can hear me, say something!" she shouted, throwing loose sticks and dirt aside.

There was a muffled groan not far from her. She planted her foot on a wobbly branch and stepped over it, ducking under another branch as she weaved her way through the mess of leaves and dirt to find him. There, just under a pile of dirt, she could see Gible clutching at his hip, trying to free his legs from the tree.

"I can help. Hold still," she said, jumping down. She pressed her shoulder against the trunk of the tree and pushed, but her efforts making little impact on the behemoth.

Gible breathed in through his teeth, pained by his own struggles. "Try lifting it," he suggested. "Maybe I can do something..."

He tried to adjust himself to assist her, but ended up twisting his legs even more. A sharp cry escaped his throat.

Chikorita bent down and tried to lift the tree for him to escape. She strained, putting her back into raising the tree, but wasn't strong enough. Nearly overcome with tears as she thought of Gible's suffering, she searched for a broken branch to use for leverage.

"Everything all right over there?!" Bulbasaur asked, his voice a great distance away.

"He's stuck!" she cried. "Can you help?"

"Yeah! Sure thing! Hold on!"

Bulbasaur crawled in her direction, trying to avoid straining his back any more than he had to. He leaned against the trunk of the tree.

"Here?!" he shouted.

"Just across from you!" Chikorita responded, shoving a stick between the tree and the ground. "Do you see anything around you that'll help?"

He looked around. "Lots of sticks!" he offered. "Maybe you can use them as wedges?"

"That's what I'm thinking. Could you hand me some?" she asked, standing on two legs to peer over the tree.

Bulbasaur crept forward, using his vines to gather the biggest sticks he could reasonably carry. Then he held them up for her to take. "Here ya go," he said.

She grabbed them one at at time and jammed them into the dirt, just below the tree. Then she leaned her weight on the largest branch. The tree moaned and shifted just enough for Gible to pull himself out from beneath it.

Chikorita gasped, horrified. One of Gible's legs was bent in the wrong direction and turning black. With blood rushing to his legs, Gible felt the pain anew. He cried out and grabbed his legs, squeezing them with as much force as he could muster.

"Hold on," Chikorita said in her best comforting voice, trying not to look at his mangled limbs.

"Bulbasaur!" she yelled, "Can you stay with Gible and keep him company? I have to get help!"

* * *

After following Gible's instructions, Chikorita was able to find herself in familiar territory. She ran to her home, stopping only to catch her breath when the exertion became too much for her. Running was never her strong suit, especially not over long distances, but she pushed herself anyway. Her friends were counting on her.

She wished she could help Gible more directly, but she hadn't any real practice when it came to resetting bones and taking care of patients. Her mother was much better versed in such fields.

From far off, she saw the Explorer House's familiar blue wooden door and dove for it. Completely out of breath, she stood in the doorway and coughed.

"Mom! Dad!" she called, gasping for air. "I'm home!"

Axew and Shuppet jumped up and greeted her. "Lookie here!" Axew exclaimed, attempting to put her in a half headlock. "Hey, everyone! Chikorita's back!"

Shuppet blinked. "Where is the other two?" he asked.

"That's why I'm here," she said, escaping from Axew's grip. "We need help; I think Gible's legs are broken, and I can't carry him on my own."

"Woah!" Axew started. "What happened?"

Charizard climbed up the stairs and looked at his daughter. "What's this about Gible?" he asked.

"He's hurt!" she blurted, trying to keep herself calm despite the circumstances. "Can you carry him back?"

"Where is he?"

"I'll show you."

* * *

Chikorita looked up at Gible, who was wearing an uncomfortable splint wrapped in bandages. Considering everything that had happened, he seemed rather cheerful, happy even. He returned her cautious look with a warm smile.

Bulbasaur walked up beside Chikorita, curious as to why Gible had called them over. He would have preferred to let Gible rest, but if Chikorita's parents said it was okay, he wasn't about to argue with them.

All things considered, Bulbasaur had gotten off easy. Besides a few scratches and bruises, his back was the only injury worth complaining about. Gible was not as fortunate. He had both of his legs broken, one of which was completely shattered, and nasty bumps on his head where rocks had fallen. Although an entire day had passed after the accident, the two Pokémon were still visibly shaken.

"How are you feeling?" Chikorita asked, pressing her hooves against the mattress he was on.

"Terrible," Gible said with a raspy laugh. His response only seemed to concern them even more.

"Anyway, that's not why I called you two over. I want to show you guys something."

Gible reached over and grabbed his bag. After digging through it for a while, he pulled out his two explorer badges.

"Here. Take 'em."

Bulbasaur nearly jumped at the chance, but Chikorita was a little more hesitant.

"But... aren't those yours?"

Gible wouldn't budge. "They're yours now. I'm not much of an explorer anymore, really. It's time I accepted that and let you guys fulfill your dreams. Go out there and make some memories. Do all the things I've been afraid to do."

He tossed them the badges. With a proud expression, he watched them hold his precious treasures. He leaned back in the bed. "I've already talked to your parents, Chikorita. Nothing would make them prouder than to see you grow into the explorer you've dreamed of becoming."

Chikorita's heart began to race. "Thanks, Gible."

"No, thank _you_ , Chikorita," he replied, "for helping me back there. And you too, Bulbasaur, for staying by my side."

"No problem," Bulbasaur said, admiring the badge.

"We won't let you down," Chikorita said, putting her hoof on her chest. Her voice rose gradually. "We'll carry on your legacy and become the greatest explorer team ever!"

Gible laughed. "I'm sure you will," he said, humoring her enthusiasm.

Bulbasaur ran a claw over the cold metal. He flipped it over and examined the pin, testing its sharpness. "Hey Gible, what was the name of your explorer team?"

He closed his eyes. "Officially, Larvitar and I were registered as Team Gnaw. I don't think anyone would mind if you changed it though."

Chikorita looked over at Bulbasaur. He shrugged. He didn't mind what they were called, as long as it wasn't too silly. Being a team was enough for him.

"No, that's a good name," Chikorita said. "We'll call ourselves Team Gnaw."

Gible pressed the side of his face against the pillow and looked into the explorers' bright eyes. "That settles it then. Starting today, you two are _official_ explorers."

His words incited a fresh wave of excitement in them. Chikorita and Bulbasaur gave each other a quick hug and ran upstairs, eager to show the other explorers their new badges.

"Thanks again!" Chikorita shouted from atop the stairs.

Despite the tears running down his face, Gible couldn't help but smile.

"You're welcome," he whispered.

* * *

 **End of Part 1**


	21. Part 2: Chapter 1: Partners

**Part 2: Twisted Ambitions**

* * *

Golduck stretched her webbed fingers broadly, examining the back of her hand to demonstrate how little she cared. Around her, cold statues in her likeness were dressed with ceremonial garments, fine jewelry, and bright, flowing robes. Behind the statues were extravagant tapestries, ennobling Golduck in every colored thread, even to the point of blatant falsification. The only part that seemed to bother Absol though, was the way they made her stomach look smaller.

The irreverent swordsman laughed at the lavish display.

"Vanity of vanities," Gallade said, shaking his head. "The next in line is gonna tear this stuff down."

Absol's claws curled into the soft, grass-like carpet as one of the guards, a Granbull eager to prove his loyalty to Golduck, made threatening motions at her. She stared him down until he backed off.

"Absol." Golduck spoke in a warning tone, but projected louder than necessary. "Silence your bodyguard before I lose my patience."

"Bodyguard?!"

Gallade raised his arms angrily. "We're _partners_. Got it? _Partners_. That means we kick ass _together_. We'll kick your ass too, if we have to."

The soldiers around them collectively tightened the circle. Absol, seeing this, bowed her head low. "I apologize for my partner. He's never seen royalty before, much less a beautiful queen."

Golduck adjusted the golden crown on her head and sat back into her marble throne, tucking her tail around herself. She patted her stomach, gently, as if to calm herself. "I am unimpressed by your flattery, Absol. Surely you can do better than that? Tell me, who among us is most like the gods? Who is most deserving of praise?"

"You are, without a doubt," Absol said disingenuously. She wiggled her shoulders, trying to free her bags without arousing suspicion.

Gallade understood what she was doing. It was a simple matter for him to reach his own bag, so he waited, allowing Absol to speak for them.

Stretching her hands apart, Golduck raised her palms to the ceiling and announced. "Surely it is so! _I_ _alone_ deserve this kingdom!"

Despite his best efforts, Gallade couldn't help but roll his eyes. The self-proclaimed ruler of Forlorn Tower was getting on his nerves. The blades on his arms were growing restless as thirst drew them to madness.

To disguise the awkward movements necessary to free her bags, Absol bowed low again and asked, "What is the extent of your kingdom, great one?"

Practically oblivious to her surroundings, Golduck stroked her purple robe with delicate brushes of her long fingers. "This whole forest, and all who dwell within, belong to me. Including that den of explorers you call a home," she said, her face transforming into a snarl.

Absol's back straightened as she gasped. She hadn't mentioned the Explorer House. Her bags fell to the floor. Gallade made a motion toward his own pack.

Golduck smiled. "Your memory fails you, Absol. Perhaps I overestimated your intelligence."

"Psyduck?" Absol asked, squinting at the crowned figure.

Webbed claws dug into the marble throne. "Golduck!" she screeched. "You will call me Golduck, fool!"

"Gallade! We're leaving!" Absol shouted, abruptly ending the conversation. She reached into her bag and pulled out her explorer badge. Without further fanfare, she pressed the pink button in the middle and disappeared in an instant.

Gallade dug into his pack and revealed his own badge. Before he had a chance to escape, however, one of the guards grabbed ahold of him. He turned to see the Granbull clutching at his leg, trying to weigh him down. The swordsman recovered his balance and pressed the button anyway, teleporting both he and his attachment far from Golduck's reach.

Absol watched her partner appear before her, carrying the shaken Granbull with him. They were just outside the gates of Forlorn Tower, in the safety of the real world, where bad Pokémon were out of their element. The Granbull, realizing this, was now a more humble creature.

Gallade swiped at Granbull's arms, cutting deep into his wrists. With a scream, the guard released his grip and began to writhe in the grass, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. Absol pounced on him, burying her claws deep into his chest. She pressed her face against his and screamed into his nose.

"Tell your _ruler_ that explorers are not to be trifled with. If she sets even _one_ of her disgusting webbed feet on our property, we'll _kill her_! _You hear me_?!"

Granbull nodded furiously. His bleeding wrists were enough warning.

She released him.

A smile spread across Gallade's face as he watched the messenger hurry to the tower, pressing his wrists together with contained sobs.

"Poor sap," he remarked, wiping his arms in the grass.

"He wouldn't show you the same pity," Absol warned.

Gallade nodded. "Believe me, I know."

* * *

Bulbasaur planted his foot in the soft soil, and adjusted his scarf, bracing himself for the training. Standing across from him, wearing her Bounce Band proudly, was his sparring partner, Chikorita. She reared back as a horse before charging, kicking up a cloud of dust in the process.

"You ready?" Chikorita asked.

Bulbasaur faltered. "What if one of us gets hurt? Maybe we should practice on some trees instead."

"Oh, we'll be fine, Bulbasaur," she said with a wave of her hoof. "We have enough Oran berries here to last us until next spring."

The bulb Pokémon squeezed his eyes shut, remembering his battle against the Zangoose. He remembered the horrible feeling- the loss of control that came when he was pushed too far. He didn't trust himself not to hurt her.

"You sure? I might have trouble holding back..."

There was a loud rustling sound nearby, followed by the crunching of leaves. The two explorers froze.

"Hey! They're over here!" a voice called. "They're about to fight!"

Chikorita recognized the speaker instantly. "Axew!" she scolded, pushing aside a tree branch to better look at her. "You were supposed to be chopping firewood!"

Shuppet materialized from a tree, startling Bulbasaur. "Fight is too many interesting," the ghost said, stumbling slightly over his words.

"Yeah!" Axew agreed. "You two gonna fight? Don't let us stop you."

"We went 'round back to avoid you two," Bulbasaur spoke frankly. "Stop following us. Especially you, Shuppet."

Axew put her arm out to the side, as if protecting her friend from his words. "What's wrong with Shuppet?!" she demanded.

"He hovers around me when I sleep," Bulbasaur declared as he turned back to face the ghost. "And it's creepy. So stop it."

"Yeah, that _is_ kinda creepy," Chikorita agreed.

"I am very sorry to make trouble," Shuppet said, his blank expression making it difficult to discern his sincerity.

Axew folded her arms. "A'ight, cool. So you guys gonna fight or what?"

"We're not fighting, we're _training_ ," Chikorita explained. "But if you wish to join us, you're more than welcome."

Axew spread her palms and shook her fingers, as if demonstrating that she wasn't holding a weapon. "Ah, naw, see, I don't fight 'less I absolutely have to. But if push came to shove- you know I'd be all up in there."

"Uh huh," Bulbasaur intoned. "That's what they all say."

Chikorita resumed her battle position. "Let's just ignore them, Bulbasaur. Fight as if they aren't there."

Bulbasaur gave the audience a passing glare as he faced his partner again. "Alright," he said, breathing in deeply. "I'm ready anytime you are."

"Let's go then!" Chikorita announced, giving a short hop.

The two ran at each other, but stopped just before clashing. They circled one another, unsure what sort of expression to display for their friend and temporary enemy. Bulbasaur whipped at the ground, trying to psych her out. At first, she flinched every time he made an attacking gesture, but eventually stopped after realizing he lacked the will to initiate.

Chikorita made a tackling motion, closing the distance, but Bulbasaur merely stepped back and whipped the ground near her hooves. She pressed forward again, causing him to retreat. The two circled around again, undoing her work.

"C'mon! Fight already!" Axew shouted from far away.

Bulbasaur closed his eyes and began to swing several of his vines wildly. She ran around him, hoping to tackle him from behind, but one of the vines caught on her leaf, surprising her. She backed away, letting his attack go unpunished.

He wildly charged at her, hoping to tackle her to the ground. She raised her protective shield just in time. He bounced off, confused. This gave her time to counterattack. A tiny seed shot out and landed on Bulbasaur's bulb.

Bulbasaur couldn't help but laugh. "You do realize that leech seeds don't work on grass types, right?"

Chikorita gave a confident grin. "Sure they do."

The seed sprouted from his bulb, but was unable to take root.

Bulbasaur ignored the harmless seed and charged at her again. This time, Chikorita charged with equal ferocity. Bulbasaur stretched his vines out, preparing to whip her when they met. That's when Bulbasaur felt something tugging on him, restricting his movement.

The leech seed began grasping at his vines, trying desperately to prolong its life by sapping his. Its attempts were fruitless, but restricted Bulbasaur's movement for a moment. That moment was all Chikorita needed.

Bulbasaur watched helplessly as she smashed into his face. With a cry, he stumbled back, gently touching his nose to see if it was broken. Thankfully, his nose was still intact, but his pride had taken a serious beating.

"Nice," he said, his tone hinting that he was still sore from being outsmarted.

Chikorita was too out of breath to say anything, so she nodded and sat down. Not long after, Axew came over, dragging her friend with her.

"That it? One hit and you're done? I want a refund." Axew made a little fist, as if the disappointment had driven her to outrage.

Bulbasaur sat down and pressed on his nose. The sting of defeat and shame were still potent. "No one asked you to watch," he countered.

Axew blinked. "Well no one asked you to _lose_ either. So _there_."

Bulbasaur threw a clump of dirt at her, starting what soon escalated into a brawl.


	22. Part 2: Chapter 2: Allies

Lying in the grass with a book between them, the new explorers were finally able to spend some time alone. Chikorita's favorite thinking spot was far enough from the house that Axew rarely visited, which suited them both just fine. Both were tired of the unnecessary drama anyway.

But in the quiet of the woods, such matters were far from their minds. In fact, they had altogether forgotten about their responsibilities. With the pages of knowledge spread before her, Chikorita was enjoying herself immensely. Bulbasaur was able to fake his interest for a while, but after staring at the strange pawprints for minutes on end, his front eventually eroded away.

"I'm sorry," he said, rolling away from the book and her. "I just don't understand this stuff."

"What part?" she asked, looking over the entries for a particularly difficult passage.

"All of it!" he said, raising his legs to show he'd given up. "Let's do something else."

Chikorita made a mental note of the page she was on before closing the book. "Like what?" she asked. "Surely you aren't interested in more training?"

Bulbasaur's made a face. "No, I was thinking along the lines of another adventure. Nothing stopping us, yeah?"

"No, I don't suppose there is. Do you want to go back to the Kingdom of Sweets then? That place was really nice."

He sat up. "Nah, I wanna go someplace we've never been. I mean, we're explorers, right? So what's in the opposite direction?"

"Dandelion Fields are a few days away, if you're interested. The path takes us close to Forlorn Tower though."

Bulbasaur rolled over to her. "Listen, I've been thinking. Remember all those mystery dungeons we went to? Remember how empty they were? I'll bet the same thing's happened to all the other dungeons- including Forlorn Tower. And if that's the case, we got nothin' to worry about."

"I don't like the idea of Pokémon disappearing like that," she said running her hoof over the book's cover.

"I say, if life gives you an opportunity, run with it before it's gone."

Chikorita began to fiddle with the book more fervently.

"This might be our only chance before the cold settles in," Bulbasaur added. "And when winter comes, we'll be stuck inside."

Her fidgeting ceased. She sighed. "You're right," she said. "I'm just worried something might happen. What if a tree falls on us and we're all alone? What if we get lost? What if-"

He put his claw on her shoulder. "We'll find a way. We're explorers, after all. Team Gnaw can take on _anything_."

Chikorita's eyes shifted to the book she was reading.

"Almost anything," she said quietly.

* * *

Electivire slammed his fist on the metal door, waking the injured Granbull on the other side. Forlorn Tower loomed above him, reminding him of Jirachi's own oppressive fortress. He had half a mind to go back into the forest and fade from obscurity, to scavenge a pathetic life for himself in a cave somewhere, but that would be a waste of his education and talents. Doctors like him were always needed, especially if Pokémon like Jirachi were in power.

Granbull answered the door, holding his arms behind his back to hide the bandages on his wrists. Because the cuts on his chest were too numerous to conceal, they were smeared with a dark paint as a makeshift disguise. "What do _you_ want?" he growled.

Electivire stepped inside, making full use of his height advantage to intimidate the angry fairy Pokémon. "I'm here to see Queen Golduck. She needs to see me."

"No she doesn't," Granbull countered, looking back at the other guards for support. "Otherwise, I woulda known about it. She tells me everything."

There was a low chorus of laughs from the his allies, causing his face to redden angrily. He knew he didn't have the jurisdiction to send away guests, but he wanted to flex his political muscles, unimpressive as they were. But after Electivire refused to move, he relented.

"Come with me," he ordered, stepping back awkwardly to let him through. "I'll take you to her."

Electivire made sure to brush past him on his way up the winding stairs, causing him to stumble down them, much to the amusement of the other guards. The echoes of their laughter were heard from the throne room, which Electivire reached in hardly any time.

Upon reaching Golduck's throne, he pressed his face to the floor and bowed several times, as if overcome by her magnificence. The wires on his back flitted back and forth, as if they were dog tails.

"Who is this?!" Golduck demanded, pointing at the prostrate figure.

"Please!" Electivire cried out, raising himself before her. "I'm a doctor from a distant land, here to help you! More than that, I have information. Very _valuable_ information."

She leaned in closer. "Tell me," she commanded with a flick of her wrist. "What information?"

Electivire bowed low again to hide his grin. "Your enemy, Jirachi, is determined to invade your beautiful kingdom, oh, Queen. The evil Pokémon has been gathering an army for such a dark purpose."

Golduck put her hand to her chin. His words were news to her, and grave at that. If what he said was true, immediate action was needed. But if he were lying to her, she would look a fool for mobilizing her troops on the word of a forlorn traveler. She made a mental note to send a scouting unit the first chance she had.

The doctor went on. "But this god-like Pokémon is not without weakness," he said with a glint in his eye. He then opened his hand to reveal a puff of cotton.

"Even the gods have mortal ties."

* * *

Gible spun his plate to allow closer access to the berries on it. He laughed at the commotion the two younger Pokémon were causing. After abandoning his title as explorer, he found himself much more emotionally invested in the younger generation, especially Team Gnaw. As a result, he found their mischief to be much more amusing.

Charizard noticed his reaction. "Gible, what are your thoughts?"

He looked at him. "Thoughts on what?" he asked, his mouth partially full of mashed berries.

"Chikorita and Bulbasaur... do you think they're ready to go exploring... all alone?"

He swallowed. "Absolutely. Don't you?"

"We... are having second thoughts. Bulbasaur seems to be quite... impetuous."

Meganium leaned forward. "We're concerned he might not be the best influence, is all."

As if on cue, Bulbasaur banged on the table angrily, shaking it and the food nearby. This caused Axew to burst into rowdy laughter, pleased at getting another reaction from him. Chikorita tried to calm the two of them down, but to little effect.

"Perhaps...," Gible admitted, "but he's a good Pokémon though. I'm sure, with time, he'll grow out of his attitude."

Charizard scratched his chin with his long claws. "I don't think it would hurt for them to be accompanied by a few friends."

"You mean have Axew and Shuppet join them? Wouldn't they get on each other's nerves?"

The sudden quiet afterward made them realize how loud their voices were getting. The other four explorers were listening in, and they didn't look happy.

Axew rose up. "Whaddya mean I gotta join 'em?! I never agreed to this!"

"Sit down," Charizard commanded. His glare was enough to earn her compliance.

"Now," he continued. "We're going to discuss this _calmly_. You have something to say, Axew?"

"Yeah. I'm not interested in this play date you're arranging. Leave me out of it."

Shuppet raised his cloth before speaking. "I do not care too many. I am good neither way."

Meganium gestured to her child. "What do you think, Chikorita?"

Chikorita pressed her lips together thoughtfully, doing her best to remain tactful as the air grew tense. She wanted to eat a few of the Pecha berries while thinking, but knew that would be rude. So instead, she tapped a brief rhythm on the table before speaking.

"Well... if we have separate tents and supplies... and agree not to annoy each other... it could work out."

Charizard spread his arms. "Does that sound good to the rest of you?"

Shuppet agreed immediately, but Bulbasaur and Axew were a little more difficult to convince.

"So... it's like... we're two separate teams, but on the same journey?" Bulbasaur inquired, hesitating to show any emotion that might be misinterpreted.

"Why we gotta go together though?" Axew asked. "Why can't they go to Pretty Flowerland by themselves?"

"Because they're a new explorer team," Charizard said diplomatically.

Bulbasaur cleared his throat. "I'm willing to cooperate, as long as they agree not to do anything annoying."

"Like throwing dirt?" Axew suggested, which was promptly ignored.

Gible winced as he adjusted his leg. "Aw, c'mon. You guys'll have a blast out there, exploring together," he said. "So lighten up a little."

"Well, Axew? What say you?" Charizard questioned as he raised himself up a little.

She looked back at Bulbasaur, who returned her look with an equally blank one. Unable to cite her own laziness as sufficient reason to reject the plan, she accepted it with a slow nod.

"Fine," she agreed. "But only if Bulbasaur promises not to be a pain in the butt."

Meganium closed her eyes and smiled. "There. It's settled then. Pack your bags tonight and head out early morning."

Axew's jaw dropped. "So soon?! What's the rush?"

Charizard squinted at her. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"Well, no but- but I like... waiting... for things."

"You're leaving tomorrow."

Bulbasaur chuckled at her reaction, agitating her further. Red in the face, she grabbed an apple and chomped on it furiously.

"What are _you_ laughing at?"


	23. Part 2: Chapter 3: The Second Adventure

"You want my advice?"

After adjusting his wrapped legs, Gible sat up in the bed and waved the budding explorers to him.

"Try and have fun," he said, causing an eye roll from Bulbasaur.

"I'm serious," he insisted. "These days will pass you by in an instant. Don't let anyone else spoil them for you."

Chikorita tied her bags over her shoulder with a grunt. "No need to worry," she assured him. "We'll keep our distance."

"And your sanity, I hope."

She nodded. Bulbasaur opened his mouth to speak, but reconsidered at the last second. He coughed and put on his own bags, shaking his back until the straps aligned themselves in a comfortable position.

"We should probably go," Bulbasaur said, heading to the door. "Farewell, Gible."

Gible waved his hand. "Try not to get into trouble, you two."

* * *

Axew patted Chikorita on the head, stretching her short arms to their limit to reach her. "Glad you could make it," she said in a patronizing tone. "Me 'n' Shuppet've been standing here forever, waitin' for ya."

"I had to say goodbye to Mom and Dad," she answered, shaking off her hand.

"A'ight, I respect that. Love ya parents while ya got 'em. So you ready then?"

"I am."

Bulbasaur stepped between them. "I am too. Let's go."

"Cool," Axew said, taking the lead. "Follow me, everyone!"

"Hold on!" Bulbasaur called. "Who says _you_ get to be leader?"

"You guys are newbies, so I'm takin' charge."

Bulbasaur ran ahead of her. "Nuh-uh. Team Gnaw doesn't take orders from _anyone_."

Shuppet floated above him, ducking through the branches as he raced onward. He easily overtook the bulb Pokémon.

"I am the new leadership!" he announced.

Chikorita picked up the pace as she tried to catch the others. "Wait for me!" she called, nearly stumbling over a tree root. Bulbasaur, after hearing his partner's call, gave up the chase and waited up for her. Then they ran together, doing their best to ignore Axew's rowdy taunts.

* * *

Bulbasaur dumped a pile of wood on the ground, making a noise loud enough to startle Axew. She looked at his modest collection disdainfully, now dissatisfied with her own work. With only a few branches and sticks to show for her efforts, she wondered if it was worth starting a fire at all. After a few minutes of wondering through spider webs and tall grass, she'd simply given up.

"Not much luck, eh?" Bulbasaur asked, patting the pile he'd collected.

"Some are born lucky," she said with a shrug.

He looked around before sitting down. "Hey, listen, I was thinking... there's a limited amount of firewood out there, and we're just gonna end up taking from each other. So... instead of two separate fires, we should just have one. Whaddya think?"

A quick glance at her collection of wood was enough to override her distrust. She could only gain from accepting his offer.

"Fine," she said, getting up and rolling her pile next to his. "Is Chikorita coming with more?"

"She's coming with some tinder, I hope. She's better at finding that stuff than I am."

He paused. "And what about Shuppet? Where's he?"

"Behind," a voice whispered above him. Bulbasaur tensed up immediately.

Shuppet descended, his bright eyes watching the grass Pokémon intently.

"Don't do that!" Bulbasaur shouted, rubbing his head as if he had hair that needed to be straightened.

Axew giggled. "You shouldn't be so uptight, Bulby. Shuppet's only playing with ya."

"Don't call me Bulby. And quit encouraging him."

"Something wrong?" Chikorita's asked, appearing from behind their tent.

Bulbasaur was about to respond, but Axew was faster. "Bulby here says we should join together and have one big fire!"

Chikorita nearly dropped the tinder she was carrying. "Bulby?" she laughed.

A look of betrayal was branded on Bulbasaur's face. "Aw, c'mon, not you too, Chikorita."

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized, settling down next to him. "It's a cute name, is all."

She placed the tinder on the ground and began setting rocks around, marking the fire's territory. Bulbasaur, less than eager to continue in the current conversation, scoured the area for more stones.

Axew went back into her tent, brought out a bag of Oran berries, and placed it next to Shuppet. Then they began to snack on their provisions, watching Bulbasaur as he began the process of fire-starting.

* * *

"So are you two on the same team then?" Bulbasaur asked as he poked at the crackling fire.

The dragon and ghost looked at each other, as if they were keeping a secret between them. Then Axew pinched her tusks, the way one would while twirling a mustache.

"No, but we're best friends though, so we might as well be."

Shuppet gave a silent nod. This caused Axew to nod as well.

"When we're exploring, we like to split up and do our own thing, know I'm saying? Ya can't do that as a team."

"You two go exploring?" Bulbasaur asked.

"When we have to," she said quickly. "What about you guys though? That scarf and band around your necks didn't come from nowhere."

She reached over to examine Bulbasaur's scarf, but he hid behind Chikorita for protection. His partner, much more trusting of the dragon, sat up and puffed out her chest, proudly displaying her trinket.

"We found them in a mystery dungeon called the Kingdom of Sweets. It has all these nice berry bushes and the moon makes all the leaves-"

"But why you guys? Why'd you guys wanna be a team together?"

The Team Gnaw members looked at one another, their faces nearly touching. Both reactively smiled. "I dunno," Chikorita said, turning to face Axew. "I guess it must have been fate."

The dragon snorted as she watched them behind the wall of rising flames. "Sure it was."

She grabbed another handful of berries and was going to stuff them all into her mouth at once, but then an idea struck her. "Hey, listen," she said, putting the berries back. "What if we _all_ went into a mystery dungeon tomorrow? It could be one of those bonding moments or whatever."

Bulbasaur was wary of her offer. "Yeah, you look like you're _real_ eager to build lasting relationships. Is this one of your 'hide 'n' seek' tricks again?!"

"Me?" Axew gasped, putting her hand to her mouth to feign innocence. "I'm surprised at you, Bulby. You should be more trusting."

"And _you_ should be more trust _worthy_ ," he said countered. "And stop calling me Bulby."

Axew stood up and stretched, signaling her intent to end the discussion. "Well, you two think about it. You know where to find us."

She gave everyone a quick wave before pushing aside the tent and walking inside.

After giving a little bow, Shuppet floated through the wall after her, making Bulbasaur reel back in horror.

"Geez," he said, putting another log on the fire. "I'll bet nothing is safe from those two."


	24. Part 2: Chapter 4: Ties

Bulbasaur stared into the white expanse, his body paralyzed as the void echoed his quiet murmurs.

"It's only a dream," he whispered to himself. "Everything that happens... is... in my..."

His last words were too weak to escape his tightening throat. He swallowed with great difficulty before taking a step backward, terrified at the pale void before him. It seemed so lifeless, so unnatural. A powerful shiver shot up his spine, causing him to freeze in place.

He couldn't feel his legs. Nothing felt right. His chest felt tighter and a lightheaded feeling began to overwhelm him. He looked at the sky, fearing he might float away and become lost in the emptiness above.

"Stop..." he pleaded, squeezing his eyes shut. In desperation, he buried himself in his memories, conjuring the strongest feelings he could muster.

He opened his eyes.

The world had changed in an instant. He was there again, standing before the evidence of his wickedness, now a miserable human with no hope for a future. He could hear noise- dreadful, invasive noise from the others. He could feel their stares behind him.

He looked at his human hands. With gentle and methodical movements, he pressed his fingers against the opposite palm.

Their voices grew more intense as he heard a loud hammering noise in front of him. It became hard to focus.

He pressed his knuckles against his head, squeezing his skull to dull the painful noise. He stared at the wooden desk before him.

"They need to _shut up_ ," he growled.

The clamor persisted despite him. Above the voices, he could the hear the clinking of tiny chains as he struggled against the cuffs. In his peripheral, he could see a tall figure leaning next to him.

"It'll be easier if you just-"

"SHUT UP!" he screamed, shoving the desk away. There was a loud crash followed by a series of gasps.

He was grabbed from behind and thrown on the ground. Several hands pressed against his back as he struggled against their hold. The cold metal dug into his wrists.

" _Let go_!" he screeched, writhing as a dying worm. He squeezed his eyes shut and slammed his head against the carpeted ground. "Let. Go!"

"Bulbasaur, stop it!"

He felt someone pulling on his forelegs. He opened his eyes to see Chikorita lying next him, distraught as she tried to stop him from hurting himself.

"You're having a nightmare!" she cried, holding his claw between her hooves. "I'm _so_ sorry, Bulbasaur. I forgot to use my aromatherapy. Please- don't do this."

Bulbasaur stopped, his lower lip trembling as Chikorita embraced him. Her leaf changed to a soft shade of pink as a sweet smell wafted through the tent.

"No- no," he spoke with a shaky voice, "it's all- all my fault. It's al- always been my fault."

He broke down into tears.

* * *

Chikorita dragged a stick through the gray ash, forming the mouth on her crude smiley face. She set the stick aside and lay next to the dividing rocks, staring at them wistfully. She had already exhausted her artistic talent and was in little mood to repeatedly draw the same smile on the ground.

A series of footsteps told her she was not alone. The sound of someone sitting down confirmed this.

"Hey," Axew said. "Nice smile."

Chikorita knew she wasn't talking about her expression, but it served as a reminder of it. She inhaled deeply.

"Thanks," she answered, her voice less enthusiastic than she intended.

"You okay there, Chikorita?"

"Yeah..."

"Where's Bulbasaur?"

She picked up the stick and made zig-zag marks across her picture, erasing it. "I don't know," she whispered. "I think he wants to be alone."

Axew moved closer to her. "Shuppet's out lookin' around for the mystery dungeon, so I guess it's just us then."

Chikorita blew into the gray ash, scattering some of the dust. She batted at her face and sat up to avoid breathing in the airborne cinders.

"Hey, Chikorita. Can I ask you somethin'?"

"Depends," she said, focusing her attention on a piece of flaked-off tree bark.

"Do you even like being an explorer?"

Chikorita looked directly at her. This allowed Axew to see the dark lines under her eyes. "Of course I do," she said indignantly. "Some of my best memories are in mystery dungeons."

The dragon blinked. "You're not doin' it for anyone else?"

Chikorita shifted her position. "I'm not sure what you mean."

She sighed. "Just- I mean, don't live your life pleasin' anyone else. They'll break your heart no matter how much you give."

They sat in silence for a while, allowing the birds to speak their peace. After the birds had their chance, Chikorita picked up another stick and began to draw in the ash again.

"That's something to think about," she answered noncommittally.

"That's right it is," Axew said, softly grunting as she lifted herself up. She kicked a rock with the side of her foot, smiling triumphantly as it rolled away. "Anyway, I'm gonna look around for Shuppet. He's probably around here somewhere. Feel free to join me, if ya want."

"No thank you."

She shrugged. "Your choice," she said as she walked away.

After seeing Axew disappear into the trees, Chikorita looked down at the ash. Without thinking, she had drawn a Tic-Tac-Toe board. She hastily brushed away the powder and went back to her tent.

* * *

Jirachi could feel the string pulling taut, causing Altaria to groan from the dull pain. Raising itself into the air, Jirachi tested the strength of the bonds. With a weakened whimper, Altaria stretched its wings as high as they could go, holding back tears as the strings involuntarily tightened his muscles. In the haze of pain and mind-numbing medication, he could hear his heart racing.

A loud, indiscernible cry escaped his throat, angering his tormentor. Jirachi jerked one of the strings up, forcing his beak to close. His head rolled back as lights flickered in and out of vision. He could taste blood in his mouth, but he hadn't the will to swallow.

"No distractions, please," the wish Pokémon requested with a shake of one of the strings. Altaria's head was forced to bob up and down.

"This is harder than it looks, you know," Jirachi said casually, making a little kicking motion in the air to test the other strings. The dragon's shaky legs buckled beneath him.

Carrying the Wish Maker like a fragile marionette, Jirachi slowly ascended toward the hatch in the ceiling. After undoing the lock on the trap door, it pulled the dragon up after it.

"You could use some fresh air, little Altaria. You look so pale and sickly."

It made little difference to him where he was. The world was but a medley of bleeding colors to the dragon; he had surrendered to the pain long ago. Even if he had the will to fight against the strings that compelled him, he hadn't the strength to fly away from his troubles.

"Smile for me, Altaria."

He felt the corners of his beak being cruelly tugged upward. He tried to cry out, but the scream was trapped in his lungs, boiling inside of him. After a few seconds of such wrenching, Jirachi gave up.

"That's a shame," it sighed. "Your beak makes it hard to see that happy face. I'll have another doctor fix that too."

Jirachi raised its short arms up, forcing Altaria to present his wings. Every part of him was examined carefully.

"I'll get this eventually, don't you worry," Jirachi assured him. "Then we can make that final wish- together."


	25. Part 2: Chapter 5: An Obvious Trap

"There you are, Bulbasaur."

Axew hurdled over a large rock to reach the grass Pokémon, who barely stirred when she arrived. Without moving from his seated position, he greeted her.

"Hey, Axew."

On the ground was a small collection of sticks arranged like a log cabin- the product of Bulbasaur's solitude. Axew crouched next to it and looked at Bulbasaur's red-rimmed eyes.

"Yeah, so, you gotta second?" she asked. "There's somethin' we need to talk about."

Bulbasaur acknowledged her with a brief glance. "What is it?"

"It's about your partner- my friend, Chikorita."

She fell back and landed in a seated position.

"I dunno what went on between you two last night, but y'all need to fix it, a'ight? I can't stand seeing her all sad like that."

He watched a few squirrels to avoid looking at her. "We're not fighting, if that's what you're implying."

"Don't matter. You shouldn't leave her anyway. You're _partners_ \- that means you stick together no matter how tough it is."

She folded her arms after seeing his expressionless face. "If you can't commit to that, then you don't deserve her as your partner."

He lowered his head and watched her with glaring eyes. "Is that all you came to say?"

She returned with a passive-aggressive smirk before standing up.

"Actually, I came to tell ya to get your lazy butt back to camp. We're tearing down the place and headin' for the mystery dungeon, so hurry up."

Axew gave a wave for him to move, which, he reluctantly obeyed. After making sure he was going in the right direction, she followed closely behind him, as if escorting him through the woods.

* * *

Large groups of gnarled trees grasped at the air, tangling themselves with one another as they fought to control the precious sunlight. The twisted branches formed a canopy of mangled limbs, casting an eerie shadow on the four explorers below, who stumbled through the dungeon with but tiny streams of light to guide their paths. Beneath the arch of interconnected trees, Shuppet felt himself at home in such darkness. He would even spin happily from time to time, and zipped about as a curious fly.

Chikorita and Bulbasaur pressed close to one another, fearing that any manner of dark creatures would come between them should they separate. The bulb Pokémon wanted to stop the expedition and light a torch, but knew the group hadn't the patience for a tedious session of fire-starting. So instead, he squinted in the dim light, focusing on taking one safe step at a time.

Team Gnaw had only found a few abandoned apples and seeds on the ground- things hardly worth risking the dungeon-dwellers' anger over. Because Axew went ahead of the group, she took most of the valuables, leaving the leftovers for the less brave explorers to collect in her wake. Even so, Axew found reason to complain about the quality of the items found.

"Lookathis!" she exclaimed, holding up a blue sphere covered in pine resin and dirt. "This Invisify orb is sticky! What a piece of junk!"

She tossed the orb to the side and continued scouring the floor for better items. She raised her head at the sound of leaves rustling above her. She smiled. It was only Shuppet, playing in the trees. She reached into her bag and took out a Blast seed. With a grunt, she threw it near the oblivious ghost.

There was a loud explosion as the seed made contact with the tree. Chikorita cried out as the whole dungeon trembled from the loud noise. Nearly bursting from laughter, Axew pointed at the shaken Shuppet as he prepared for his swift revenge.

"Hey, look Shuppet! The branches didn't break! Now we know the ceiling is part of the mystery dungeon!"

Because Shuppet didn't carry a bag filled with explosives or have the capacity to throw rocks back, he silently slipped into the tree wall, disappearing from sight to surprise her.

Axew, aware and prepared for such tricks, ran deeper into the dungeon, laughing at the thrill of being chased. Bulbasaur and Chikorita didn't know whether it was wiser to follow her or stay far away to avoid getting caught up in their games.

Bulbasaur picked up the discarded Invisify orb and put it in his bag. It might not have been useful to Axew, but it sounded incredibly useful to him. He could ask his partner how to fix sticky items during a less turbulent time.

Chikorita walked slowly ahead, hesitant to venture too close to the potential disaster zone. "Let's agree not to throw Blast seeds at each other for sport," she said, watching as Shuppet popped out from one of the trees and screeched in Axew's ear.

Bulbasaur winced as she saw Axew fall on her knees, trying to reach her ears to protect herself. "Yeah," he agreed. "I don't think either of us can handle the strain."

Axew batted at the ghost, who evaded her movements with a laugh. After her ears stopped ringing, the dragon laughed with him.

Bulbasaur looked around nervously. "You guys aren't worried about alerting the bad Pokémon?" he inquired in a hushed voice.

"Oh, relax, Bulby." Axew dismissed him with a laugh. "I don't see any bad Pokémon. Do you, Shuppet?"

The little ghost shook his head.

Axew puffed out her chest and bellowed, "Come on out, bad Pokémon! Go ahead! We ain't scared o' ya!"

There was an irreverent silence as Axew's voice echoed between the tree trunks, waking whatever nocturnal creatures weren't already disturbed by their antics. After a few moments without response, she grinned at Team Gnaw.

"See? They scared of us. That, or they've all got food poisoning and are taking some real painful dumps somewhere."

She lumbered about, making crude gestures and exclaiming such disgusting noises and phrases, that Chikorita felt embarrassed to be part of the same traveling party. Shuppet was enthralled by her performance and demanded an encore.

"We should hurry up if we want to get anywhere today," Bulbasaur mentioned, in no mood for another round of such watery sounds.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

She pinched her tusks and made exaggerated head movements to show she was looking around. After settling on a direction, she made a wild wave of her arm to indicate her intent. Then, without looking back, she led the group into the next room.

Chikorita and Bulbasaur followed closely behind, exchanging nervous glances as the trees began to sway and creak, bending under their own weight. Even such harmless sounds set them on edge after what happened to Gible.

The next room was much like the corridor they were just in, but smaller- much smaller. The most striking difference, however, was the way the floor sparkled. In the center of the room was a pile of gold coins, which spilled out, covering the place with treasure. Axew ran to the pile and embraced it as a long-lost friend.

"We're rich!" she shouted, reaching into the stack to feel the coins. Shuppet flew down and rubbed his face against the treasure lovingly just as Team Gnaw walked in.

"This looks like an obvious trap," Bulbasaur noted, putting a damper on the mood.

Axew withdrew from her findings as if it were about to explode. "Woah, you're right."

She wiped away invisible sweat. "Man, that was close!" she exclaimed, before several Pokémon dropped on them.


	26. Part 2: Chapter 6: Bloodshed

Something clamped down on Bulbasaur's head, sending him into a panic. He knew almost instantly that he was staring into the throat of a large creature, which thankfully wasn't large enough to completely envelop him in a moist tomb. He flailed wildly, twisting his neck fiercely for a chance to breath. During his violent spasms, his claws caught onto some vines. He tore into them, hoping he was cutting whatever was attacking him.

A deafening roar escaped from the throat. He was spat out almost instantly.

Bulbasaur shook his head again, drying himself of the creature's saliva. Then he readied a battle stance as the grass monster attacked again.

There was a tangle of vines and leaves as the two rolled on the ground, clawing and beating at the other's face. In the background, he could hear screaming and fighting, but the noises were cut off every time he was thrown to the ground. The monster bit his head again, this time clamping around his forehead and pressing down. Hard.

Bulbasaur struggled, rolling around and slamming his head against the ground before the pressure was momentarily relieved. He leapt to his feet and jumped back, giving himself time to examine his attacker.

He was a lanky, leafy creature whose weight mostly consisted of long, vine-like attachments. The most discerning feature was his large, Venus flytrap-esque head which opened widely to begin the next attack. Bulbasaur knew this Pokémon, and other Carnivine like him, were prone to biting, but were mostly harmless to anything other than insects. That didn't stop Bulbasaur from treating him as a real threat though. He took up the fighting stance and prepared for the attack.

Carnivine leapt upon him, drooling like a rabid animal. Bulbasaur jumped back just in time, but accidentally bumped into Chikorita's own opponent, a war-painted Hypno. The two reeled back from one another, startled.

After seeing her enemy stumble, Chikorita launched a leech seed on the painted hypnotist, causing him to scream in horror as the plant sank into him. Hypno began to scratch at his yellow skin, hoping to contain the parasitic seed, but to no avail. The roots burrowed into him and drank his lifeblood.

Carnivine, undeterred by his partner's pain, flew at Bulbasaur with a great shout, widening his mouth in anticipation. Bulbasaur scooped up a bunch of coins and hastily threw them, causing the fly eater to accidentally swallow the gold. He stopped midair and pressed his leaf arms to his neck, trying to free the coins from his throat. Unsuccessful, he gave a weak cough and began to beat at his chest.

Bulbasaur was not in the mood for mercy. He extended his vines and grabbed one of Carnivine's arms, dragging him to the ground. Carnivine pulled against him, but devoted half of his energy into freeing his airways.

Bulbasaur gave another great tug, throwing him into the grass below. Without waiting for him to get up, he tackled his open mouth. Carnivine instinctively closed him in.

With his head buried in the monster's mouth, he couldn't see anything, but he could feel the great trembling around him. Carnivine was becoming hysterical. Bulbasaur dug his front leg into the tightly-closed mouth, cutting his way through the inner lining. Then, with one great effort, stuffed his leg into the creature's throat, further lodging the coins.

Unable to cry out, the Carnivine opened its mouth widely, unintentionally freeing the bulb Pokémon. Then he beat at the ground and tried desperately to reach into his throat.

Bulbasaur watched the weakened Pokémon squirm. Seeing his enemy in such a state caused his stomach to churn violently. His whole body shivered as a coldness settled in him, as if he were suddenly taken by an overwhelming sickness. His vision darkened as a lightheadedness overtook him, but he gritted his teeth and vowed to remain conscious.

A hot flush began to burn at his face, causing his ears to ring loudly. Noises around him melded into a dull roar. He felt a second wave of energy urging him to move, to act, to fight. With a gnashing of the teeth, Bulbasaur stamped at the ground, growling at his enemy.

Bulbasaur stepped on Carnivine's tentacle-like vines, curling his feet to skewer the flimsy tendrils. Then he released his own vines on the fallen bug catcher Pokémon, whipping him into a frenzy as the sharp pains of Bulbasaur's attacks and the panic of asphyxiation began to overwhelm him. At last, exhausted of the air he needed to fight back, Carnivine passed out.

"What are you doing, Chikorita?!" a voice shouted.

Bulbasaur turned his attention to the source of the noise. Axew was being attacked by a Grovyle and an unlikely ally: a confused Chikorita. Just behind them, he could see a paint-covered Pokémon, Hypno, watching the battle unfold. Bulbasaur kicked aside the unconscious Carnivine and dove into the battle, charging past his friends to fight the weakened Hypno.

The hypnosis Pokémon was waving his pendulum in one hand and clutching at his side with the other, trying to contain the blood that sporadically poured out from him. Intently focused on Chikorita, he noticed the Bulbasaur a moment too late. The crazed Pokémon ran underneath him and jumped, smashing his bulb into Hypno's groin. Several vines stretched out, taking on a life of their own as the yellow Pokémon dropped to his knees. The vines coiled around his arms, digging into his skin as they tightened their grip.

Bulbasaur wasn't nearly strong enough to lift the large Pokémon, but he had no intention to do so. Instead, his vines began to tighten even more, cutting off Hypno's circulation.

The hypnosis Pokémon waved his pendulum about, trying to manipulate his enemy's mind, but with no effect. Bulbasaur couldn't see the swinging pendulum. All he saw were vital points, fleshy points of weakness, balloons to be popped.

With a snarl, Bulbasaur released Hypno and sent his vines to attack directly.

Hypno put his hand beneath him, trying to cushion the fall. Too late he realized the Bulbasaur's vines were attacking his exposed face, striking as a colony of snakes in a terrible, disorganized unison.

One of his vines found its mark and drove into Hypno's eye socket. Another traveled up his nostril and lodged itself deep within, causing blood to gush from the impact. With a agonized scream and great deal of effort, Hypno pulled out the invasive tendrils. Partially blinded and actively bleeding, he scrambled to his feet and ran in the opposite direction, leaving an obvious trail behind him.

Ignoring Axew's shouts for help, Bulbasaur pursued the Hypno to the dungeon entrance. Needing only a glance backward as a reminder of the danger he was in, the hypnotist began to run wildly, abandoning sure-footed strides for hasty leaps. This fervent pace and a foolish second glance were enough to spell his doom. With a panicked cry, he stumbled on a tree root and fell on a jagged rock, spraining his neck.

Bulbasaur wasted no time in finishing off the paralyzed Pokémon. With a heavy stone, he crushed Hypno's skull, ending his life without ceremony.

* * *

Axew made threatening motions with her claws, hoping to drive Grovyle and Chikorita back.

"I'm warnin' you! Don't make me go all apeshit! I'll do it!"

Grovyle began to bob and weave, repeatedly faking her out with a confident sneer. He jumped forward, causing her to raise her defenses, but he pushed at the ground with his arms, allow him to jump back almost instantly. Axew took a cautionary step back, unsure how to handle his superior speed.

High in the treetops, Shuppet was being chased by another ghost- a purple monster with disembodied, grasping hands. Without having much experience chasing other ghosts, the Haunter was having trouble keeping up with him as they ducked and weaved and moved through the branches. Even so, she refused to show it, and would still claw at the empty air before her, as if he were just out of reach.

"Get over here!" Haunter yelled, making a pulling motion with her hand.

"Nono! Catch me!" Shuppet yelled back.

He dove into the corridor toward the entrance, flying close to the ground as his bright eyes searched the grass for a certain item. Haunter floated above him, trying to read his erratic movements.

At last, he espied the item tucked neatly next to a tree- a tiny seed holding terrifying power. To escape the pursuing Haunter, he popped the seed in his mouth and dove into the tree.

The gaseous ghost hovered nearby, waiting for him to exit. He couldn't stay in the tree forever. Moving through solid objects was a great burden on the stomach; he would leave or quickly starve to death.

Shuppet's head poked out from the tree. He spat the seed in her direction.

She gasped as the Blast seed came hurdling toward her. In a desperate move, she tried to fly away from the blast zone, turning her back on him. That's when she heard Shuppet's screech- a sound so horrendous, so blood-curdling that she instantly froze in place, clutching at her aching head. There was a loud clap of thunder as the explosion caught her back, throwing her to the ground.

She screamed as the burns on her back came to life, erupting in a shower of pain. Her hands dug into the ground as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to minimize her suffering. With a grimace, she lay flat on her face trying not to disturb her burning skin. Then she opened her eyes and saw him- her ally and friend, Hypno, lying unmoving beside her, his head caved in.

" _Murderers_!" she shrieked as another wave of pain gripped her. "You _murderers_!"

Grovyle abandoned his fight and ran to her, moving on all fours to hasten himself. Coins scattered in his wake as he sprang into action. Then he saw her- saw him- saw the bloody scene for the first time. He recoiled, horrified at seeing Hypno's bulging eyes staring back at him- at the gruesome evidence of the bludgeoning scattered in the grass.

He put a hand to his forehead and sucked in a shaky breath. He bit his lip, fighting back the welling tears. He fell to his knees.

"No- please- don't do this."

He put out a hand to help him, but recoiled at the gore.

"He needs an Oran berry! Oran berry!"

Haunter clawed at the hard soil as the burns began to sink their teeth into her. Tears formed at the edges of her eyes. "Save your cures for the living!" she bellowed.

Ignoring her, Grovyle crawled to the nearest Oran berry, whispering comforting words to himself on the journey back. He squeezed the fruit in his hand and gently opened Hypno's mouth to put the berry in.

That's when he realized the jaw had been dislocated beyond repair.

With a cry, he drew back and assumed the fetal position, quietly sobbing at the guilt of desecrating his friend's corpse.

Axew watched their grief from afar, whispering to herself, "Well you deserve it, jumping us like that."

She craned her neck, hoping to find Bulbasaur before the bad Pokémon did. He was nowhere to be found. In fact, Chikorita had disappeared just as mysteriously. She could only hope that they'd done the smart thing and left the dungeon.

After stuffing her bag with a healthy portion of wealth, she gestured to Shuppet that their welcome was long exhausted. Holding her hand on her bag to muffle the jingling coins, she crept past the mourning Pokémon, stopping only once to peek at the butchery.


	27. Part 2: Chapter 7: Aftermath

Deep within the forest dungeon, Bulbasaur could feel the vultures of agony pecking at him, finding weakness in his struggle as his movements slowed and his mind began to regain control. Weakened by his exertions and realizations, his body began to tear at the seams, exposing his inner workings to the eagerly waiting monsters that plagued him. Now that his rage had subsided, he could feel the full extent of his pain.

And it gripped him.

Unable to continue fighting against the onslaught of anguish, he lay before the wooden titans, offering himself as a pitiful sacrifice before them.

But the trees would not sway; they would not heed him. So Bulbasaur found solace in their silence, and, with his chin buried in the grass, allowed the meekness he'd buried within him to manifest itself.

He tried to turn his head and look back, but a thousand needles jabbed themselves into his neck, punishing him for his insolence. He hissed in pain as blood rushed to his head, his pulse pounding an unfamiliar rhythm.

He took off his scarf and gently pressed on his neck with his claws, feeling for any signs of swelling or bleeding. After finding himself to be only bruised and sore, he felt some relief. Some. He tossed aside the scarf and, without moving his neck too much, looked around.

He couldn't easily forget what he'd done. Over and over he was replaying the moment in his mind, watching Hypno's war-painted face staring back at him, seeing his pleading eyes filled with such heart-wrenching fear, wordlessly begging for his life. Every time he thought about what he'd done, he felt his stomach twisting itself reflexively. He had ended a life. Such decisions had permanent consequences.

He wondered if Carnivine was lucky enough to survive. His fate was a little less certain, and as a result, carried less weight in his mind. Even so, his racing mind was not easily put to rest with such uncertainties. He dare not venture back and check. No doubt the other bad Pokémon were already looking for him, thirsting for his blood. He could only move deeper into the dungeon and hope to find a means of escape along the way.

He stood up, wincing as a sharp pain in his neck reminded him of his weakened condition. Ignoring the soreness his movement brought, he continued walking. He wasn't afraid of physical pain. It was nothing compared to the long-lasting scars he called memories.

* * *

Although her hooves made little noise on the soft grass, there was no doubt that her movements were urgent, fearful even. Her eyes were constantly scanning the dark landscape for her partner, but had little success in locating him. She hadn't the tracking skills of Absol, nor her terrifying speed, but Chikorita could see the patches of stamped-down grass and recently-made claw marks in the dirt- sure marks of a clumsy Bulbasaur passing by. Even with this knowledge, however, she lacked the confidence to fully commit to any one path in the labyrinth of trees, which was slowing her down significantly. That, and a heavy bag filled with camping equipment, first aid, and food.

After turning a corner, Chikorita could see her partner staring at a twisted tree in horror, as though expecting it to grow arms and grab him. She approached the trembling figure.

"Bulbasaur!" she cried, running to meet him.

He flinched. At first she thought she had startled him, but as she drew closer, she could see the fear lingering in his eyes.

"Chikorita," he responded, moving a foreleg to his neck. "Hi."

She stopped an impersonal distance away. "You're not hurt?"

He dropped his claws and looked past her. "No, I'm fine," he muttered.

There was an awkward silence as both waited for the other to speak. With only feeble rays of light between them, their faces were a playground for mischievous shadows. Bulbasaur could see Chikorita's wide eyes peering at him through the murk, watching him carefully. He doubted his eyes shined just as brightly.

The leaf Pokémon took a few steps toward him. "I hurt you again, didn't I?"

He took a reactive step back. "It's not like that. I just have a lot on my mind, _okay_?"

Chikorita could still remember when Bulbasaur ran away into a cave, believing himself a bad Pokémon. It was possible he still believed that.

"Bulbasaur, I _never_ meant to attack Axew. I- I wasn't in my right mind. _Please_ don't hide from me."

A realization softened his expression. While he was completely focused on his own pain, he'd completely forgotten what had happened to her.

"You were confused," his voice whispered, finally understanding her struggle. She was fighting her own monster- a beast that drove her to attack her friends. His removed behavior only amplified her feelings of guilt.

Bulbasaur wondered if she knew what happened to Hypno. If she was unaware, he had no plans to tell her.

To calm his nerves, he filled his lungs with a gulp of humid air, holding it in for a bit longer than usual. Then he released the breath before continuing. "You're a good Pokémon, Chikorita. Don't ever forget that. Don't _ever_ forget that."

She slowly closed the distance between them, nearly stumbling as she walked. Bulbasaur, after seeing her struggle, met her halfway.

"You all right?" he asked, nearly crying out as he turned his neck to better look at her.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "But I hate feeling like this. I hate seeing you like this."

She buried her face in his side. "But I don't want our adventure to end," she said, her voice quavering.

He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes. "I know... I know," he repeated again and again to stop the tears from overwhelming him.

* * *

A loud crash above compelled Gible to put his book down and investigate. He hated going up and down the stairs, but the situation presented little choice otherwise. Using the ill-fitting wooden crutches with the grace of an lame elephant, he maneuvered himself into the stairway.

"Anyone up there?!" he called, before shakily dragging himself up the first step.

"Gible?" a familiar voice responded. Absol's silhouette appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Absol!" Gible shouted, teetering his way up the second step. "You're back!"

"Where are they?" Absol demanded. "Where is everyone?!"

Gible gave her a confused look. "Well Charizard and Meganium are in the orchard, I think. And the rest are out adventuring-"

"Where?" she inquired, making agitated movements as she waited for a response.

"Well, they're headed to Dandelion Fields, if I'm not mistaken," he said, raising himself up another stair. "They left yesterday, actually. You just missed 'em."

"Dandelion Fields?!"

"Yeah, over out west. You know the place. It has all those puffy dandelion seeds floating all over the place and the swaying-"

"Gallade!" Absol shouted back to her partner, who must have been outside. "Chikorita and friends are at Dandelion Fields!"

She turned to the dragon. "Tell her parents that we're going to track them down and bring them home. An army of bad Pokémon is running loose in that direction."

He nearly fell down the stairs at the news.

"Oh, and thank you, Gible," she said, offering a quick nod for politeness' sake before running out the door.

* * *

Bulbasaur felt someone poke him. He sat up, only just realizing that he had fallen asleep. But instead of the usual comfort associated with such rest, he felt drained. He shivered. In the dim forest, surrounded by faceless giants, he was once again reminded of how small he was in the world of nature.

Chikorita peered down at him, pushing her leaf back to prevent it from accidentally hitting his weary frame. "You're awake," she sighed in relief, before lifting herself up to a more comfortable standing position. "How do you feel? Restless? Scared even?"

"Y-yeah," he agreed, wobbling as he got up on all fours. "How'd you guess?"

"You're not alone," she said, her eyes constantly darting about. "We need to get out of here."

"What is this feeling?" he asked, his body convulsing from another shiver. "I- I feel like I'm... dying or something."

"It's proof you're not a bad Pokémon, Bulbasaur. We don't belong here."

A gentle wind stirred the fallen leaves, blowing past the frightened Pokémon. The wind carried with it a message. Something was stirring.

Bulbasaur wanted to run. His wide eyes tore through the environment, seeking a path of escape from the unseen threat. Chikorita started digging through her bag, trying to find her explorer badge.

"What do we do?!" Bulbasaur fretted, rocking back and forth. "Maybe we should run!"

"Hold on! I've almost got it!"

She shook the bag in frustration and began the search anew.

"Please be in here," she pleaded, her movements becoming more frantic. Her legs were shivering so violently, she had to sit down to focus.

At last, she could feel the cool metal buried underneath the tent supplies. There was a shrill sound in the distance, like the brakes of a train, which kept growing louder.

"Hold on to me!" she yelled, grasping the badge with her shaky leaf. "Hold on and don't let go!"

Bulbasaur wrapped himself around her neck without a word of argument. Almost immediately after, Chikorita pressed the button and closed her eyes, praying the badge still worked.

The world of darkness disappeared before them, replaced by the safe, comfortable world they were familiar with. At first they sat gawking at the blue sky, unsure if they could trust their senses. It all seemed too perfect- too picturesque to be real. But then the cicadas grew courageous and began to screech their noisy songs. Never in all their lives did the explorers ever think they'd be grateful to hear such sounds.

They embraced in earnest, elated by the warmth that flooded them. As life flowed into their veins, they found the will to laugh, and did so unashamedly until they were out of breath.

It wasn't until Chikorita assured him they were safe that he released her.


	28. Part 2: Chapter 8: Disregarded Principle

"Hey! Wassa big idea, takin' so long?! Ya almost had me worried there."

Axew stood on a round boulder, looking down at the approaching team as they meandered back to their old campsite. She shifted her weight from side to side as she stared down at them, causing the rock beneath her to wobble.

"We figured you'd be here," Bulbasaur mentioned, half-tempted to tackle the boulder and send her flying.

"Yeah, well, I ain't sticking around that creepy place," Axew said, casting a contemptuous glance in the direction they came from.

Shuppet's purple head appeared from behind the rock. "You were inside too many. That's very very dangerous."

"We know," Chikorita said, needing no reminder of their close encounter. "We're safe now, and that's all that matters."

Axew pointed Bulbasaur. "Yeah, but what happened to all your stuff?"

Bulbasaur patted his side, just realizing his bag was missing. "I- I dunno," he said ashamedly. "Maybe I should go back and look..."

He made a turning motion, hoping someone would stop him. Thankfully, Axew spoke up before he got far.

"Don't bother; it's gone forever."

"It's true," Chikorita added with a nod. "Anything you leave in a mystery dungeon tends to disappear."

Bulbasaur's eyes moved to the ground. "Oh."

"We'll be fine," his partner assured him. "Life goes on. I'm sure we'll find plenty of food on the way there."

"At least let me carry the bag for a while," he insisted, lifting the burden from her.

Axew jumped down from her standing place. "I wouldn't trust him with that if I were you."

Chikorita gave her a stern look. "I trust Bulbasaur; he's my partner and friend. And I don't appreciate it when you belittle him."

She raised her arms defensively. "Hey, I ain't doin' any beetlin'. I'm just saying your partner's an idiot."

Shuppet moved ahead. "Everyone fight as they walking," he prompted, looking back at the divided Pokémon.

"We shouldn't fight _at all_ ," Chikorita said. "Dandelion Fields are only a couple of days away. We can stand each other that long, I'm sure."

Axew pushed Bulbasaur aside. "Fine, _I'll_ lead the way!" she announced, half hoping someone would challenge her. But after finding no argument, she officially took charge. So without looking back, she marched into the west, spinning her arms wildly as a ragtag group of explorers stayed a few paces behind her.

* * *

Doduo dragged her crooked talon through the dry earth as she hissed familiar curses. She glared at the forest dungeon with her working eye.

Absol's claws had cut deep into her face, leaving behind lines of parallel scars that refused to heal. Her left eye had been irreparably torn and infected, requiring its removal. A tightly-wrapped bandage covered the exposed socket, which one of her soldiers had the special honor of changing daily.

Even more apparent than the scars was the black stub jutting out from her body segment- the remnant of her lifelong twin and partner. The memory of the loss was branded on her mind. Trapped in the same dying body, she was forced to share the pain of death without the comfort of release. This resilience earned her respect from the higher-ups, but her handicap was a source of derision from the squad she commanded.

Doduo opened her beak and screeched. On command, Pokémon poured into the entrance, scratching at the trees and tearing down the overhanging branches as they passed through. Their roars were heard from deep within.

Deep in the same dungeon, Zangoose clenched her fists. She was facing innumerable odds and almost certain death. But she wouldn't die alone- she would make sure of it. Hidden between her teeth and cheek, she was carrying a tiny seed.

Loud cracks overpowered the shouts as branches were ripped from their places. Smaller trees were uprooted for sport and cast aside. Some trees, existing as part of the dungeon itself, remained steadfast as several Pokémon struggled to tear them down. Those trees escaped their judgment, despite the dirty looks they were given.

Several Beedrill, naturally faster than the other Pokémon, broke ahead of the pack and were the first to discover the lone Zangoose. With nothing but her fists to defend herself with, the cat ferret Pokémon found herself surrounded by a set of poisonous stingers. The grounded Pokémon followed shortly after, pressing in close. A few were brave enough to throw pebbles at her.

Doduo pecked at the Machoke that stood in her way- the same Machoke that had once commanded her. Although Doduo lacked the weight to knock him aside, he begrudgingly allowed her to pass.

Doduo broke through the group and stood face-to-face with Zangoose challengingly.

"Where yer claws at, Ugly?"

Half of Zangoose's torn nose curled as she struggled to avoid clenching her teeth. The bird's jab carried little sting; she'd given up on her face long ago. Her claws, though- their absence was a sensitive point. She wanted to hide her hands and disguise her shameful declawing, but knew better than to lower her guard.

Zangoose stretched her jaw and shifted the seed in her mouth to the other cheek."Yer one to talk," she countered, moving her eyes over the bright scars covering the bird's face.

Doduo made a pecking motion at her, hoping to make her flinch. Zangoose reacted instantly. The moment she made the threatening gesture, Zangoose swatted at her. Doduo's head was knocked back.

The squad stirred. A few shouts from the back rang out. They wanted to see a fight. The wall of Beedrill stingers pointed themselves at the two Pokémon, sealing their escape routes. The noise of their wings rose to a ceaseless drone.

Doduo could feel the heat from their watchful eyes. They wanted to find fault; they wanted to see her fail. With the circle around them tightening, she couldn't afford to back down or display weakness, not after her recent and controversial promotion. She lifted her right leg, displaying her long talons, and spat in her direction.

"Do that again, ya freak. _I dare you_. No one would miss a mangy cat."

Zangoose took a deep breath. Then, holding the seed against her cheek with her tongue, she roared, taunting the unprepared bird into attacking.

Without any warning, Doduo was forced to make the first move. Because she was standing on one foot, she had to jump to close the distance, giving Zangoose ample time to counterattack. With the agility of a martial artist, the cat sidestepped the direct assault and gave her enemy a push in the same direction.

Doduo crashed into a Beedrill, who made little effort to avoid her. The stinger drove through her chest, piercing between her ribs. With a sharp cry, she freed herself and fell the ground, flailing as the poison began to take hold of her. After a few seconds of shock, her lungs finally had enough air to let her scream.

Zangoose raised her fists again, spinning to look at the entire crowd. She expected everyone to jump her, but instead they were enthralled by the bird's performance. She could hear laughter, soft at first, but growing bold as a seizure took hold of Doduo's body.

"Look! Her neck is twitching!"

"Gross!"

"She's trying to move her other head!"

The group howled in delight as Doduo's black stub of a neck convulsed as the poison took hold.

Machoke broke through the circle and knelt beside his old subordinate. "Aww, is the little birdie all right?"

Doduo continued in her writhing, prompting the fighting Pokémon to shrug his shoulders. "I wanna help you, truly I do, but if you don't tell me what's wrong, there's nothing I can do."

A high-pitched whine escaped from her throat, like the cry of a rabbit caught in the jaws of a predator. Her eyes, wide with pain, searched for a compassionate face in the sea of monsters.

Zangoose stood by, clenching her fists, and watched the affair with a churning stomach. The crowd had all but forgotten her. They had a new creature to torment; and the new one could do tricks.

Disgusted, but in some ways relieved, she escaped the ring and left them to their plaything.

* * *

Bulbasaur gave a short gasp.

"Uh, guys... up ahead..."

The group turned to face him, but continued walking.

In desperation, Bulbasaur put out a leg to prevent Chikorita from advancing.

"Stop! _Stop_! Look up ahead!"

Axew folded her arms and squinted at the distance. "Whaaaat? What is it _this_ time?"

Bulbasaur pointed at the pile of rocks in their way. "There! On the ground! That's a white snake!"

His exclamation didn't seem to disturb them. In fact, to his horror, Axew completely ignored the warning and approached the long, coiled-up obstacle.

"What are you doing?"

Axew stooped down and picked the object up.

"You mean this thing?" she asked. "It's just an old snakeskin, see?"

She jiggled it around to simulate movement.

"Oooh!" Chikorita exclaimed, rushing to look at the spectacle. "I wonder what kind of snake it was."

"Here, you can have it," Axew said, tossing it to her. "You can use it for your magic spells or something."

Using her leaf as a catching mitt, Chikorita grabbed the skin from midair. Then she presented it to Bulbasaur prove its harmlessness. He cowered a little, but expressed his appreciation nonetheless.

"I get it. I _get_ it." he pleaded, turning away from the husk.

Chikorita understood. She put the skin back on the rock and did her best to reassure him with a smile. "Snake skin doesn't have any uses, as far as I know. Haven't read any books on it though."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, giving the coiled mess a wide berth as he passed by.

She gave him a nudge. "It's okay. We all have our things. Me, I hate wasps. Can't stand 'em."

Axew swatted at a mosquito. "Yeah, because they're assholes. If I had my way, they'd all drop dead."

Chikorita frowned. "I'm sure they're important to the natural order and whatnot, but I like to steer clear of them. I just don't like being stung, is all."

High overhead, the group could hear a loud whoop as Shuppet bobbed between the tightly-woven branches.

"I get you!" the ghost shouted as he chased the forest creatures through the trees.

Terrified by the unwelcome guest, the animals scattered in every direction, loudly chirping and squeaking their objections. A few were too slow and forced to jump from their lofty places.

Bulbasaur ducked, afraid of an overhead strike. "He never gets tired of that, does he?"

The dragon smiled. "Nah, that's what he lives for. It's just something ghosts do, y'know?"

As the chorus of angry creatures dulled to a steady background noise, she stretched out her short arms and yawned. With her eyes half open and smile on her face, she watched Shuppet make mischief in the trees. Then she stretched the rest of her muscles, just to draw out the moment.

When she was sure she had sufficiently stretched, and annoyed the members of Team Gnaw by her inactivity, she pointed to a clearing in the distance.

"Whaddya say we stop and eat? I'm hungry."

The two shrugged. "Sure," Bulbasaur said. "My neck kinda hurts from carrying this bag anyway."

"Ah, don't be a wimp," Axew told him. "Last one there is a buttface!"

She made a mad dash for the decided campsite, leaving two very confused Pokémon behind.

Bulbasaur scoffed at her immaturity. " _Really_?! How old are you?!"

"Old enough to know better! Too young to care!" she shouted back with an obnoxious guffaw.

Team Gnaw couldn't help but roll their eyes.


	29. Part 2: Chapter 9: Argument

The dragon's red eyes watched the blue berry sail through the air, calculating the trajectory with astounding speed. At once, she opened her mouth and dove for its anticipated landing place.

There was a clatter and an angry shout as Axew threw herself into the silverware.

"What are you _doing_?!" Bulbasaur bawled.

Axew quickly snapped up the treat and scurried back to her original spot. "Nothing," she replied, acting as though she'd been cordially sitting the entire time.

Bulbasaur grumbled as he picked up the mess, blowing on any berries he felt were too dirty for immediate consumption.

"Why me?" he groaned, casting dirty glances her way.

Axew snapped her fingers. "Hey Shuppet, pass me another one. I'll get it this time, I promise."

Shuppet, thoroughly enjoying their new game, reached into the snack sack, and with the folds of his cloth, pulled out an Oran berry. "I can throw very really far," he said excitedly.

"No you don't," Bulbasaur interrupted, throwing one of his own berries angrily.

Axew felt something bounce off the fin on her head. She whipped around and saw Bulbasaur sticking his tongue out at her.

She grabbed the berry, and with clenched teeth, crushed it in her palm. After releasing a savage roar, she hurled the glob back at the sender.

Fortunately for Bulbasaur, her aim was terrible. The berry went sailing over his head and landed in the bushes behind him.

Chikorita stabbed the ground with her hoof.

"Stop that, both of you. Act more mature."

Bulbasaur gave the dragon a smarmy grin. "Chikorita's right. No more fighting," he said, ending communication with a patronizing nod. Then, before anything else could happen to his meal, he set about finishing it.

Axew huffed angrily. Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed a nearby fork and slammed it against the ground with a surly grunt. Then she abruptly stood to her feet and pointed in his direction.

"Stop hiding behind Chikorita and face me on the food battlefield, coward!"

Bulbasaur wrinkled his nose. "You've wasted enough food, Axew."

"Me?! Wasting?! You're the one that lost half our food in the mystery dungeon!"

"Because you led us right into an ambush! Good job on _that_ one!

"Well _sorry_ for trying to have fun, Bulby. It's not like I _wanted_ to be dragged on your flower-picking trip anyway."

Chikorita stood up. "Can we please get along? There's no reason Shuppet and I should have to listen to your bickering."

The point on Shuppet's head began to glow faintly as he moved closer to the action. "Nono, fighting is very funny to me. Keep with the arguing, please."

Axew scoffed. "Nah, I'm done with this guy. Let's go pick some more berries," she prompted with a wave of her hand.

Shuppet, slightly disappointed that the argument ended so abruptly, descended to her eye level. "Okay, I go."

The two explorers turned their backs to the others with a dramatic turn. Then, holding their heads as high as their bodies would allow, moved deeper into the woods, laughing and shouting extra loud for the audience behind them.

Bulbasaur glared at their backsides until they out of sight. Then he sat back down with an exasperated sigh and continued eating.

"Good riddance," Bulbasaur grunted between mouthfuls of food.

Chikorita gave her own sigh as she sat back down. "I wish you wouldn't encourage her," she said quietly.

He finished out his portion with a satisfied grunt. After pushing away his bowl, he stretched and offered his rebuttal. "I'm not trying to start fights," he said, moving himself to allow for better eye contact. "She is."

She lowered her voice. "Maybe she acts confrontational because she's scared. Has that thought occurred to you?"

Bulbasaur checked to make sure the dragon wasn't nearby. "Scared?" he repeated, trying not to laugh at the suggestion. "Scared of what?"

She paused, giving herself time to collect her thoughts. Her eyes moved back and forth between her partner and a nearby dandelion.

"Bulbasaur... she didn't grow up in the Explorer House, you know."

A shrug indicated her words didn't come as a surprise. But she continued anyway.

"She doesn't like to talk about it, but I get the impression she wasn't always treated with the same love and care I was."

A gust of wind blew past, scattering dandelion seeds into the wind. Most fell a short distance away, unsuccessful in their attempt to find lift.

Bulbasaur, after noticing Chikorita's fascination with the flower, blew the puffs a little farther. "You're saying I should pity her then?"

"No, it's not like that. She just needs to know she belongs- that she doesn't have to posture herself to be accepted."

"Of course she belongs," Bulbasaur answered with a laugh, "The Explorer House wouldn't be the same without her... contributions."

Chikorita ran her hoof through the grass, stirring the seeds and air above them. "I'm serious. You remember what it was like don't you? The way you felt when you were an outsider? Imagine living like that your whole life."

"She has Shuppet," Bulbasaur pointed out.

"Yes," she relented, "Shuppet helps. But I think, if it's up to us, we should make Axew feel even more at home, don't you think? I'm sure we can up with the occasional rowdy behavior if it means helping her out."

Bulbasaur regarded the exposed dandelion for a moment longer before returning to his partner. "Yeah... sure, I guess it's only fair. I mean, if it weren't for your parents, and you, giving me a chance, I don't know where I'd be right now."

She smiled. "You don't have to thank me. I'm glad we-"

"Now I gotcha!" Axew shouted, interrupting their conversation with a battle cry. "Eat rotten Oran berries!"

The little dragon burst into the scene, carrying a vine of blue berries by the stem. In midday sun, their discoloration was clear, making them look unappetizing to even the most hungry of explorers. To Axew, that made them perfect fodder for a food fight.

She ripped off one of the berries and reared back, planning to end the ceasefire with a decisive strike. That's when Chikorita realized what the berries actually were.

"Stop!" she screamed. "Those aren't Oran berries!"

Her warning came a moment too late. The projectile was already on course for its target. Chikorita sprang into action.

She closed her eyes and leapt between Bulbasaur and the discolored berry, hoping to use Protect before it reached her. She was a second too late.

There was a loud metallic sound followed by a surprised shout. When Chikorita opened her eyes, she saw Axew swatting at her stomach, as if being attacked by an ant colony.

"Get it off!" Axew exclaimed, wiping off the splattered berry. Then she stooped low and began to wipe her hands in the grass, trying to rid her skin of the acrid sensation.

It took a few seconds for Chikorita to realize what had happened. She kept checking herself for her own injury, expecting to be in a worse state than Axew. But then she examined her neck and remembered she had a reflective collar.

"The Bounce Band... the berry must have bounced off..."

She gasped. "Bulbasaur! Get some water!"

Bulbasaur looked back and forth between the two panicked Pokémon, still processing what was happening. But after a second of confusion, his brain finally registered her words. He ran to the tent and pulled out a jug from the supplies.

"Here!" he yelled, extending his vines to hand the container over. She accepted it with a grateful nod.

"Thanks." She undid the plug and began to speak calmly to the injured Pokémon.

"Relax relax. You'll be fine. Let's wash that off."

Axew held out her arms as Chikorita poured their drinking water over them. Then the dragon dried her hands on her sides, letting loose a few profanities to verbalize her pain.

"Gimme that," she demanded, snatching the jug from the grass Pokémon. She poured the rest of the water on her stomach, wincing as patches of her reddened skin punished her efforts. She tossed the jug to the side and hunched over, maintaining pressure on the injured areas.

"Stupid rotten berries," she hissed, slowly rolling on the ground.

"Those weren't Oran berries," Chikorita explained. "Those were Oren berries. They're similar, but have completely different effects. Oran berries grow on bushes but Oren berries-"

"I _don't_ care!" she grunted.

Chikorita drew back and ran into the tent. After emptying her bag, she put it over her shoulder and exited a few seconds later. Then she turned to Bulbasaur.

"I'm going to find some herbs. Could you stay with her until I come back?"

The bulbous Pokémon made a telling face. "Maybe I- I should help you. I'll bet I could find-"

She shook her head. "No, it'll be faster if I look by myself. There's not enough time to explain everything, and I don't wanna mix the wrong herbs."

She put her foreleg out. "Don't worry; I'll be back soon, I promise. Stay with her, Bulbasaur."

She looked back and forth between the Pokémon. "And please... try and get along."


	30. Part 2: Chapter 10: Resolution

Several minutes went by uneventfully. Axew had propped herself up against a tree, and would occasionally glance down at her stomach to see if the redness was worsening. Bulbasaur sat nearby, awkwardly glancing between her and the place he last saw Chikorita, as if his constant checking would make her come back faster.

They'd spent their time in silence, save the times Axew would hiss and wince whenever anything touched her wound. But eventually, Bulbasaur became so bored, he was desperate enough to start a conversation with her.

"Do you know where Shuppet is?" he asked leaning against a tree of his own.

She frowned. "I dunno; maybe he's hiding somewhere. He does what he wants," she said tersely.

"Oh."

He was tempted to end the conversation there, but knew there was more to say.

He cleared his throat. "Hey, listen... sorry for... throwing stuff at you."

There was a pause- a long enough pause for Bulbasaur to wonder if she were intentionally ignoring him. His fears were relieved when she responded with a sigh.

"I ain't mad at you," she said, turning to him.

"Not mad? Then why were you trying to throw berries back-"

"Uh, 'cuz it's fun? What, you never have fun?"

"I do, but in a more... reasonable fashion."

"Then lighten up."

Bulbasaur turned his head to hide his eye roll. Then he stood up.

"So, do you need anything? I'm not sure what can do to help, but... I mean, I can try."

She scooted into a lying position. "Yeah, toss me my bag- the one with the berries in it. I'm still hungry."

She pointed to the bag near her tent.

After a moment's pause, Bulbasaur walked over and collected it with his vines. Then he plunked it down next to her and sat a little closer by. This allowed him to see the extent of her injury.

Even though he was far from a doctor, he could clearly see her whole belly was an unusually angry red. Several spots marked the development of a nasty rash, likely the consequence of an allergic reaction. Her arms suffered a similar fate, making it difficult for her to lean on anything without irritating the reddened skin.

"Those Oren berries make great projectiles, don't they?" Bulbasaur noted, growing bolder.

"Don't remind me," she replied, casting a hateful glance at the source of her discomfort. "Waiting for this to heal is gonna be a pain."

She reached into the bag and pulled out a colorful berry.

Bulbasaur cleared his throat. "Can't you just eat a regular Oran berry and make it better?"

Axew examined the berry to make sure it was edible, not wanting to accidentally consume its poisonous counterpart. Then she opened her mouth wide and dropped it in before speaking again.

"No," she scoffed. "Oran berries don't cure poison or instantly grow new skin. I'm just gonna have to tough it out."

"Well Chikorita's looking for herbs to help you."

Axew patted the ground and chuckled. "No offense, but herbs are kinda useless. I got nothing but respect for her, I really do, but that plant stuff is ancient history."

Bulbasaur pointed to her injury. "If plants can do _that_ to you, they must be powerful. I have faith in her practice, even if I don't understand all of it."

She smiled. "I'll believe in it when I see it. Far as I'm concerned, the best cure is lots and lots of rest. So, if you don't mind..."

She turned on her side to end the conversation, but after another hiss and wince she returned to her original position. Pretending that her change in posture was intentional, she sat up and ate another berry. And then another. And a few more for good measure. Eventually she gave up on the idea of sleep and decided to have a second lunch.

Bulbasaur quietly watched her in his peripheral, slightly amused by her seemingly endless hunger. He thought about reaching in and grabbing a berry of his own, but decided against it. The berry likely wasn't worth the inevitable fight afterward. So instead, he let his head rest in the grass and lay motionless, waiting for his partner to return.

"Hey," a voice broke the silence.

Bulbasaur lifted his head slightly. "Hm?" he hummed, not willing to put any effort in his response.

"Back in the mystery dungeon... with the Hypno..."

Bulbasaur rose up, startled. He'd hoped his actions in the dungeon then had gone unnoticed by the group. It was a vain hope, but a hope nonetheless. A lightheaded feeling came over him as he struggled to maintain his composure. He stood up, shaking slightly.

"Wa-" he began, planning to form a cohesive sentence, but gave up soon afterward.

Axew continued, unfazed by his attempt to communicate.

"Did you mean to straight up obliterate that Hypno? Like, that messily? I mean, I ain't judgin' you or nothing, like, you gotta do what you gotta do in a fight, but... y'know?"

She grabbed a handful of Oran berries and put them beside her, counting them on her fingers to make sure she had enough for her next bite.

Bulbasaur couldn't help but marvel at her flippancy.

"No..." he said, his shaky tone revealing more than he wished.

"Aw, c'mon, it's nothin' to be ashamed of," she said reassuringly. "Plenty of explorers do that sorta thing. It's just, I didn't expect _you_ to be that sort of Pokémon."

"I'm not!" he blurted before he could stop himself. Axew furrowed her brow slightly.

"Believe me," he said, taking a step toward her, "I'm not like that. I just thought... I thought it was a life-or-death situation."

"H-hey," she said, sitting up a little as he drew closer. "You do your thing. If someone attacks you, you should fight back. That's the way life is."

"Yeah...," he reluctantly agreed, settling down a bit. "I'm not a murderer though."

Axew nearly laughed.

"They're called bad Pokémon for a reason. No one will care if you kill a few."

A knot formed in Bulbasaur's gut. "Yeah... but it's just... they look a lot like us..."

She bit into one of the Oran berries. "Sure, it's weird the first time you meet them, but you get used to it after a while. And the more you fight them, the easier it gets."

"I guess..."

"Honestly, I'm not really into finishing them off all butcher-style like that," she said, chopping at the air to simulate a knife's movement, "but if you wanna, I'm ain't gonna stop _you_ from doin' it."

Bulbasaur, content with her answer, returned to his original position and tried to calm down. "Duly noted," he said, eager to end the discussion before any of the others returned. Then he buried his head in the grass and pretended to doze off.

Axew chuckled, unconvinced by his performance. She pulled a berry stem from her mouth, and with a sour face, rolled the fiber between her fingers. She looked back at Bulbasaur with plans to throw the stem at him, but changed her mind at the last second. The temporary peace was a nice change of pace. She was happy, he was happy, and the world was quiet for once.

"Next time," she muttered as she tossed the stem aside. Then she moved on to the next berry.

* * *

Doduo's eyes darted between the hanging branches above her as her thin neck struggled to lift her head. She turned over, only to feel herself sliding in something moist.

She jerked her head up, and in her peripheral, noticed she was lying in a mixture of her own spit and vomit. With a weak cry of resistance, she attempted to raise herself from the mire, only for a sharp pain in her chest to slam her back down.

Doduo blinked repeatedly, futilely, as she fought against the blinding light for even a moment of clarity. With enormous effort, she rolled over on her side and let her beak fall into the dirt below as she gasped for a breath of clean air. Her head began to throb angrily, punishing her for moving at all. But she refused to acknowledge the pain, even as she tried to stand.

Her talons curled and dug at the ground, scratching at the earth as she forced herself to move. With a loud cry of displeasure, she ignored the abdominal pain and lifted her head again.

She scanned the area with narrowed eyes. She was in the forest mystery dungeon. Except for her pounding head and the frightful noises she made getting up, everything was quiet, peaceful even. The swarming gnats nearby were her only company. All around her were green fallen leaves, torn up trees, and muddy footprints- the aftermath of her squad's appetite for destruction.

The memories returned with a painful stab and an angry growl. She opened her beak to cry out, but stopped herself the embarrassment. No respectable leader would whimper or scream in pain. She wasn't that sort of Pokémon anyway.

She sat up a little more, growling, not from pain, but the source of it- the Beedrill that had stung her. Even though the event was long over, she could still vividly remember the cruel spike digging into her, prodding her tissues as she struggled to free herself from the poisonous needle. The thought caused her face to contort angrily.

Somehow, she was alive though, and with only a bandaged puncture wound to show for it. She looked down at the darkened bandage curiously, wondering how it got there. It was quite possible that, in her poisoned, delirious state, she had cured herself, which was no small thing to brag about back home. She doubted herself though. More than likely someone had taken pity on her. Perhaps it was one of her soldiers. Or perhaps...

"That _disgusting_ Zangoose," she hissed, dragging herself further from the puddle of vomit.

She looked at the exit- where a faint light promised a way out. She could leave the dungeon and never look back. She didn't owe her life to anyone, least of all one who caused her such suffering. But at the same time, she was curious, and walking away would leave many questions unanswered.

"Reviver Seeds...," she muttered to herself. "She must have a supply of Reviver Seeds..."

With a noise somewhere between a growl and a grunt, she stood up and with unblinking eyes, stared into the den of her enemy.

"I just want the seeds, that's all," she assured herself as she took her first wobbly step forward.


	31. Part 2: Chapter 11: Darkest Hour

Chikorita bent low and plucked the flower head with her leaf. Then with quiet and fretful movements, she scooped up several more flower tops and put them in her bag.

All around her, the forest was breathing. The insects buzzed lazily through the humid air, spinning and swirling like leaves caught in a gust of wind. Above them, the trees were bent and swayed in time, moving the forest in soft waves of quivering branches. The birds, proudest of the forest creatures, boasted of their beauty to any within earshot, calling out to the potential mates that flitted about in the nearby perching places. All the while, the squirrels were traveling up and down the tree trunks, looking for ways to torment the more excitable winged creatures.

One lone squirrel, noticeably smaller than the rest, grew bold enough approach a murder of crows. A few screeches from the group warned it to back off.

There was a loud crunching noise behind Chikorita. She whipped around to see a small orange flame in the distance, swishing back and forth as a pendulum. A long tail waved the flame about, showering the forest floor with tiny sparks with each wild movement.

Chopping aside an inconvenient branch, a tall and wiry Charmeleon marched forward, trampling twigs and bushes beneath his clawed feet. A short hiss echoed from behind his metal beak-like mask as his narrowed eyes shifted from the scenery to the little Pokémon before him. With his eyes dead set on her, he flicked his tail back and forth as he continued his march.

Because his strange demeanor unnerved her, she thought it best to avoid him and return to her party. She had enough wild chamomile for a cold compress anyway, and she knew the longer she was away, the more likely Axew and her partner were to start fighting.

But then she realized Charmeleon was, intentionally or not, standing between her and her friends. She would either have to pass next to him or take a long route around and hope he wouldn't follow. She glanced at the trees to her left and right. If she strayed too far from the path though, it would be difficult for anyone to find her if she ever got into trouble.

High above, a black crow landed on the crowded branch, planting itself between the squirrel and its escape route. It spread its wings menacingly, twisting its neck and cawing to intimidate the unwelcome guest. Then, with a flap of its wings, it closed the distance between them.

Chikorita swallowed and walked forward, meeting the Pokémon halfway. When they were close enough, she put up a hoof and greeted him.

"Hi," she said, avoiding direct eye contact, only to realize that the other Pokémon had no inhibitions for staring at her anyway.

He put out his fiery tail to stop her. "Whoa, hold it!" he ordered.

His gruff voice startling the grass Pokémon, who was already on edge.

She looked up at him. She could see his mask more clearly than ever. To her horror, she saw that the metal beak on his face was welded in the back, making it impossible to remove.

"What is it?" she asked, tucking the bag closer to her body to diminish the temptation of thievery.

"What's a little Pokémon like you doing out all alone?"

She wanted to answer quickly. She wanted to appear unafraid. But she hesitated for too long as she thought through every possible answer. For a moment, she considered ignoring his question, but worried what he might interpret from her evasiveness.

His eyes, unmoving from the object of interest, glinted brightly above the mask. His tail whipped back and forth, cracking at the air as though it meant to escape from his body.

She swallowed nervously. "Not alone...," she mustered under his gaze. She wanted to remind him that the others were waiting for her, and that if he behaved uncouthly, they would know. But her throat squeezed the life out of anything she wanted to say. It became hard to breathe.

"That doesn't answer the question. What are you doing here, _all alone_?" he repeated with raspy laugh.

"Just exploring," she answered quickly, choosing what she thought was a safe answer.

"Exploring?!" he exclaimed as he rubbed his claws together. "You're an explorer!"

She took a small step back, hoping he wouldn't notice. She wondered is she could outrun him. Probably not.

He put his hands on his knees and bent down slightly. His metal beak nearly touched her face. "Where's your explorer badge then?"

She flinched. She knew it wasn't in her bag. Like the rest of the supplies, her badge was back at the tent. The only thing she had on her were flowers, which weren't much use in a dangerous situation.

"I don't... have it," she admitted, wondering afterward whether she should have revealed such information.

Even the mask couldn't hide his smile. "Oh," he said, "I guess you're not a _real_ explorer then."

He reached out and pinched the leaf on her head. She pulled away from him.

He stood up straight, and with folded arms, examined her. "You know what? I could probably show you some tips on being an explorer. It won't take long, I swear."

He pointed in another direction, somewhere Chikorita had no intention of going. "My camp is right over there. C'mon."

He nudged the back of her head, urging her to move. "Don't worry, it's just a short walk away."

She had to do something. If she followed him, she would at his mercy and far from any help. But if she ran, he might do something drastic. She knew his intentions were far from pure, but she could only guess what he was willing to do to accomplish his goals.

She froze in place, desperately fighting her own indecisiveness. Over and over she tried to convince herself that everything was fine: she was just overthinking things. Maybe he was just creepy. Maybe she was just on edge. She wanted to believe he was safe- that she was safe. But everything about him was wrong. His eyes, which slowly moved up and down her body, whispered of his dark intentions. And his claws- they were the tools of a heartless predator, sharpened and ready.

With a revealing glance behind her, she made a dash for the campsite.

Charmeleon reacted instantly. With a powerful lunge, he fell upon her. After a single cry for help, she was quickly silenced.

Not far away, a squirrel plummeted to the ground with one of its eyes torn out. It staggered to its feet and ran from the tree, never the same again.

* * *

Long blades of grass poked Bulbasaur's cheek as he tilled the earth with his chin. He wanted to sleep and skip the rest of the day, but knew if he did, his early sleep would be plagued with nightmares. So he made small compromises, first by resting his head, and then by closing his eyes in turn. Eventually, he gave up the fight and closed both eyes.

Still barely awake, he listened to Axew's soft and rhythmic breathing. For a moment, he felt at peace. As long as he kept his eyes closed, suffering was just an idea- a blight long forgotten in the seconds lost to the darkness. But then a sharp sting on his stomach jolted him back to reality. He opened his eyes and looked beneath himself. Without realizing it, he had crushed an ant.

He turned his body a few degrees to avoid the mess he'd made. In his new position, he could see Axew slouched over by a tree, fast asleep with her mouth hanging open. There was a certain sadness to her expression that made Bulbasaur wonder if she was dreaming about something unpleasant.

Bulbasaur glanced at the sky. The sun was buried behind the trees, making it difficult to ascertain a precise time, but it was clear that Chikorita was taking a lot longer than expected. Bulbasaur knew his partner was knowledgeable about the area- at least more than he was- and smart enough to look after herself. But he also knew that bad Pokémon and natural dangers were no respecters of intelligence, much less the myriad of potential misfortunes lurking in the shadows, waiting for the opportunity to reveal themselves. And even though he knew worrying would accomplish little, he found himself doing so with greater fervency as time went on. He wondered at what point he and Axew should start looking for her.

For that matter, Shuppet, for all of his strange behavior, had disappeared without explanation. This made Bulbasaur all the more nervous, especially since, without someone competent enough to guide him, he was hopeless when it came to navigation. He couldn't find the Explorer House even if he wanted to. Having to look for two missing Pokémon, while not getting lost himself, was a task he was woefully unprepared for.

He closed his eyes again and the world disappeared in an instant. With a whisper, he assured himself that Chikorita would return, that he'd see her smiling face again and the world would return to normal. They'd laugh and play in the flowers in Dandelion Fields, then return home to recount their adventures with Chikorita's parents. Naturally, they'd revise the scary parts of their stories and leave out the embarrassing ones.

There was a loud shuffling noise nearby. Believing it to be Chikorita returning with the promised herbs, Bulbasaur stood up, eager to give her a cheerful grin. But instead of his partner, he saw two strange Pokémon approaching their camp. One of the Pokémon, a Granbull with bandages on its wrists and black marks on his chest, made loud complaints to his associate.

"I shouldn't be walking so much you know. It'll take away some of my upper body muscle mass over extended periods of time."

The other Pokémon, more reserved than the other, refused to comment. This didn't seem to bother Granbull though. In fact, it wasn't clear if the Pokémon could move its mouth, let alone speak. Shedinja weren't typically the active sort, after all. Whenever they did move, they simply floated in the direction desired, unaffected by any obstacles.

"Yeah," Granbull continued, as if someone had prompted him to continue his ramble. "When we find that spy, Golduck's gonna see I'm better than the rest of those dumb soldiers she's stuck me with. No offense, Shedinja."

Shedinja made no indication that it had taken insult, or even heard him. Instead, it floated into one of the tents and began its search.

Bulbasaur sucked in a surprised gasp. He practically dove upon the sleeping dragon and shook her awake.

" _Whaaat?_ " Axew groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"Two Pokémon are here," he whispered.

She pushed him away. "Bad Pokémon?" she asked, staggering as she attempted to stand in her drowsy state.

"They're in your tent," he spoke in a hushed tone.

Axew made two fists as she yawned, pumping herself up. "Well I'm gonna go talk to them."

Bulbasaur ran in front of her. "But what if they're just thieves? Wouldn't it be best to leave them alone and avoid conflict?"

"Screw that."

She shoved past him, marching up to the entrance of her tent with loud, determined footsteps. If the intruders weren't aware of their presence before, they sure were when she pushed aside the curtain and stormed in.

"Bah!" Granbull spluttered, dropping the wooden box he was pilfering. It crashed with a deafening sound and spilled the tools on the floor.

After hearing such a racket, Bulbasaur abandoned his post and ran inside to help. Just in time, he noticed the metal sheen of dozens of sharp objects and stopped just short of stepping on one.

"Thieves!" Axew shouted, baring her hands to show she wanted to claw the Granbull's face.

Shedinja, without a word to anyone, floated backward through the wall of the tent and out of sight, leaving Granbull stranded. Knowing this, the fairy Pokémon made a desperate attempt at diplomacy.

"Heyheyhey, woah... I wasn't trying to steal anything. I... I thought this camp was abandoned."

"You didn't even check," Bulbasaur noted, picking up the fallen box with one of his vines.

Granbull reached up and grabbed his large teeth, allowing his elbows dangle from the side of his mouth. He rocked back and forth and waited anxiously for his associate to save him.

"Look, you got me all wrong," he said, clutching his teeth while speaking. "I'm only getting supplies for the doctor. Surgeons like him need fancy tools to be any good, y'know... but I can put 'em back if you guys need 'em."

"Pick up the mess," Axew ordered, "and I _might_ forgive you."

Granbull nodded. "Okay," he said, stooping low and picking up a short whittling knife. With the knife firmly in his hand, his eyes moved to the entrance to the tent. Axew, realizing this, stepped between him and his escape route.

"Don't try nothin' or Bulby and me'll take turns beating you to a bloody pulp."

Bulbasaur sighed. "Don't call me-"

His sentence was cut short when something stole his voice. With a whimper, he attempted to finish his thought, but was unable to gather the air in his lungs. All that came from his throat was a raspy wheeze, before he fell to the ground, completely breathless.

Axew turned around to see Shedinja suspended a short distance away, its body and face unmoving, but its shadow fully animated. With a bow, the projected shadow slipped back into Shedinja's shell and disappeared. In that instant, Axew realized she'd gravely underestimated her enemy.

With a roar, she charged at the ghost bug, hoping to gain through surprise what she couldn't through strategic combat. She slashed at the floating Pokémon with her claws, roaring all the louder when her attack passed right through her target. In a desperate move, she threw herself into the flimsy-looking Pokémon and crashed to the ground, enraged all the more.

Bulbasaur shakily stood up, unsure what he should do. It wasn't long before he heard the answer.

"Don't move," a voice commanded, as cold steel was pressed to his bulb. Because his tactile sense was poor in that area, he couldn't tell if the sharp or dull end was against him, but he knew it was all too easy for the knife to change positions and cut him.

"I won't. I won't," he assured the Granbull, who, despite his advantage in the situation, was shaking like a leaf.

"Tell your friend to stop," Granbull ordered, nearly dropping his weapon.

Bulbasaur swallowed. "Axew, stop. He has a knife."

The dragon unsuccessfully continued the assault, swearing every time she passed through the incorporeal body.

"Louder. She can't hear you."

"AXEW STOP!" his voice cracked.

Axew did stop, surprised to hear such a strange tone from him. "Was that you?" she asked, almost laughing.

"He has a knife," he explained moving his head to point at the trembling Granbull.

"So? Just fight back. His teeth could probably do more damage than a knife anyway."

Granbull pushed Bulbasaur out of the tent and walked a short distance behind him. "Nuh uh. Now I captured you two so you gotta do what I say."

"Yeah right," Axew laughed, making sure to fold her arms for added effect. "Come over here and make me then."

Shedinja moved behind her. Without expression or warning, its shadow leaked from its body, like juice squeezed from a ripe fruit. It spilled on the ground as a murky puddle of tar, which shifted and turned as a living mass. Before Axew realized what had happened, she was surrounded on all sides by the twisting darkness.

Then, as though as though a spell were cast upon her, she wordlessly fell to the ground and fell asleep. Her face twisted into an expression of pain as her arms, partially paralyzed by the attack, began to grasp limply and uselessly at the air, as if struggling against an unseen enemy. With quiet groans, she began to toss and turn on the ground, consumed by her nightmare.

"Good work, assistant," Granbull said with a grin. Then he pressed the knife to Bulbasaur's bulb. "Let's take this guy and come back for her. You think that'll work?"

Shedinja didn't reply. But, judging by Granbull's reaction, it was never expected to.

"Okay fine then. We'll just bring the Bulbasaur. I'm sure capturing even one spy'll make Golduck happy."


End file.
